The Gift
by Aaunty Pasta
Summary: Luke Skywalker meets QuiGon Jinn through the diary of a Jedi and gets to know his father and mother when they met.
1. before ep 3 write

****

The Gift By Pamala Rush (PaRuJinn@marajade.net)

Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to George Lucas. I'm just borrowing them. I'm not making any money or anything, so please nobody sue me.

This story takes place a few days after the end of "Vision of the Future" and there are small spoilers for that book. There are also spoilers for Episode 1.

Synopsis: Luke Skywalker meets Qui-Gon Jinn through the diary of a Jedi and gets to know his father and mother when they met.

*************************************************************************

****

Chapter 1

Luke flopped down on the couch. The last few weeks had been harrowing to say the least, but Luke had the feeling the next few weeks would be worse. His upcoming wedding to Mara had already gotten a lot of attention from not only Coruscant, but the whole galaxy. A steady stream of visitors and well wishers had been going through the palace—and his days—since the announcement had been made. Mara had finally taken refuge by completely leaving the planet. She was doing some things for Karrde that would ease her departure from the organization.

When there was a knock on the door, Luke winced. 'Not again,' he thought.

He got out of his chair and headed for the door. He opened it quickly and got out, "Look, I'd like to…" before he saw who it was.

His old love Callista stood in the doorway with a large wooden box in her arms. "Callie?"

Callista smiled. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just wanted to wish you well."

"I…,"Luke began. "Uh, come in." He stepped aside to let her into the room.

"Where's Mara?" Callista asked.

"Finishing some business for Karrde," Luke said. "What are you doing here?"

"I have something for you," she said as she set the box down on the nearest table.

It was of a dark wood that Luke had never seen before and intricately carved with a small latch on one side. "What is it?" Luke asked as he studied the box.

"Something that will tell you a lot more than you ever thought you would know," Callista told him. "It belonged to a Jedi named Luc-Da Jinn. Her father was a Jedi Master. She gave it to me for safe keeping when she left for Tatooine to meet…" she stopped. "Actually, I think you need to find that out for yourself."

Luke looked up at her. "Why didn't you bring this to me sooner?"

Callista looked sheepish. "I forgot where I hid it."

Luke could only smile. "Can I offer you something?"

"No," Callista said. "I've got a transport to catch."

Luke smiled then leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "I'm glad you came," he said.

"Have a good life with Mara," Callista said as she opened the door to leave. "I knew she was the right one for you from the moment I met her. Problem was, it took me a long time to figure that out."

"Me too," Luke replied. "Thanks."

*******************

He was still sitting on the couch looking at the box when Mara came in. It had been two days since Callista had brought it and he still hadn't gotten up the courage to see what was inside. "What's going on?" she asked.

Luke stood. "It's a gift," he told her.

"I see you opened it," Mara commented sarcastically.

"I haven't had the nerve to see what's inside," Luke said.

Mara sat Luke down on the couch and sat down next to him. "Open it," she ordered softly.

Luke looked back down at the box, then resigned himself to opening it. He leaned forward and placed his hand on the carved wood of the lid. After a second of feeling the intricate carvings, he opened it. On top of a swatch of silk fabric were three long, thin braids of human hair, one a dark blonde, one brown and one red-gold. Luke lifted them out of the box, fingering them as the wrapped them around his hand. 'I wonder what is important about these,' he thought. With a glance back at Mara, he set them aside.

The silk was a fine silk scarf. Mara took the scarf in her hands and looked at it carefully. "This is Alderaanian," she said.

Luke raised his eyebrows and looked back into the box. Next were two hand carved pieces, one a square of some unknown white wood and the other of a green stone in the shape of a heart. Both had black cords which could be tied around a person's neck and were carved in similar designs leading Luke to believe they had been carved by the same person. He picked the white pendant out of the box and held it in his hand. It felt cold in his hand but he could feel the warmth that had made it in his heart.

Mara picked up the other pendant. "These are beautiful," she said. Luke only nodded as he handed the white one to her so she could lay them aside.

Next was a personal viewscreen. Luke activated it to see two people, a young woman dressed in an elegant ball gown and a very young man in Jedi robes, standing on a platform. Music began playing and the two began what could only be called a dance—with their hands.

"Camaasi gestural language," Mara said as she looked over his shoulder. "They're singing."

Luke watched for a few minutes before shutting down the image and setting it aside with the braids. The next item in the box was a black cloak like the ones Jedi Masters used to wear. "I wonder who that used to belong to," Mara commented.

"Her father," Luke replied.

"Who's father?" Mara asked.

"Luc-Da Jinn's," Luke replied.

"Who…," Mara started.

Luke turned to her. "Callista brought the box. It was a friend of hers."

"Callista was here?"

Luke nodded. "She wanted to wish you well, but she had to go back to wherever she had been."

"Where was that?"

"I didn't ask and she didn't say," Luke replied as he set the robe aside and turned back to the box.

Under the robe was a lightsaber. Luke picked it up and flipped the switch. The saber's green blade rushed out with a hum. Luke flipped the switch again and it went off with a familiar whoosh. He felt a sadness that he could not explain when he wielded the weapon so he set it aside with the robe.

Next was a small holographic projector. Luke touched the button to activate it and a man appeared. He was dressed in Jedi robes, including the robe from the box, and had an air of seriousness about him. His long hair was tied back from his face with a piece of leather and his lower face was covered with a beard. "That must be her father," he said absently.

Mara leaned forward for a better look. "I wonder what his name was," she said.

"Maybe something else in here will tell us," Luke said as he deactivated the holo and leaned forward to look in the box again.

Next in the box was a stack of papers folded neatly in half and tied with a red ribbon. He undid the ribbon and unfolded the papers to find that it was a stack of drawings of people. Each drawing was of a good size and was of various views of each person's face, including a close up of the eyes. 

The top drawing was of a black man with a bald head and a serious face. In the corner was a name, printed clearly and in small letters. *Mace Windu Jedi Master and Head of the Jedi Council* Luke set that aside to find that the next drawing was of Yoda.

"Master Yoda," Luke muttered with a light smile. The corner listed his name and that he was also a Jedi Master and head of the Jedi council as well.

That drawing went aside and was replaced by the drawing of a man that Luke recognized. Mara recognized him as well.

"Palpatine," she said. "I wonder why she included him."

His drawing was labeled, *Chancellor Palpatine formerly Senator of the planet Naboo.* Even then, his face held the evil that he would become. With a shiver, Luke set the drawing aside to find a picture of a creature staring up at him. *Jar-Jar Binks, Gungan,* was what the corner read. "What an unusual creature," Mara said as she took the drawing and set it aside with the others.

The next was a woman. Beautiful, but with lines in her face and worry in the beautiful eyes. They were Leia's eyes. Luke sat transfixed by the woman. The name in the corner was simply *Shmi.*

"No label except the simple name," Mara said. "She has Leia's eyes."

Luke shook his head. "I have no idea who she is," he said. "I wish I did."

The next drawing was of a boy about nine years old. The name in the corner was *Anakin.* "This is my father," Luke said. "It has to be."

"He's a child," Mara said with surprise.

Luke gave her a strange look. "Everyone was a child once," he said.

"I never was," Mara said with a smile.

Luke shook his head and looked back at the drawing. The boy looked eager, innocent. Nothing like the dark man he would become. After several minutes of looking at the drawing he finally put it aside and looked at the next drawing. It was a young man with familiar features and a braid hanging down over his right shoulder. The name read *Obi-Wan Kenobi Padawan Jedi to Qui-Gon.*

"What's a Padawan Jedi?" Mara asked as she looked over his shoulder.

Luke shrugged. "I have no idea," he replied then smiled. "I can't believe this is Ben."

"He wasn't bad looking as a young man," Mara said.

"I almost believed that he had never been a young man," Luke said jokingly.

"Just check the next drawing," Mara said with a slight shove to his shoulder. Luke set the drawing aside.

The next drawing was another woman. This was the only one done with color and Luke could see why. In some of the drawing, the young woman wore a design of make-up. Two red dots decorated her cheeks and the top lip was red as well. A small bit of the red went down in the center of the bottom lip while the rest of her face was white. On her head was a headdress that seemed to be part of her hairstyle. Not all of the various views had her in the makeup. Some had her in simple clothes and no make-up. And she reminded him of Leia. In the corner, her name was listed as *Queen Amidala of Naboo.*

"How beautiful," Mara commented. "That's the second time I've seen the name Naboo. I wonder where it is."

"Who knows," Luke shrugged as he pushed that aside to sit with the others.

The last drawing was of the man from the holo. In the corner was his name *Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Master.* "This is him," Luke said. "Qui-Gon Jinn."

"It certainly is," Mara said with her chin on Luke's shoulder.

"I wonder who he was," Luke said. "I wish I could learn more about him."

Mara took this final drawing from Luke and placed it with the others where she folded them back up and wrapped them in the ribbon without tying it. Both looked in the bottom of the box to see that it was now empty. Mara looked at the side, puzzled. "That can't be it," she said. "There's at least three inches that something has to be in."

Luke leaned forward and rapped on the bottom eliciting a hollow sound. "It's a false bottom," he said. He pushed on the corners until one gave and the false bottom came out of the box. He laid it aside with the other things from the box and peered into the box.

There was a thick book bound with soft Bantha leather in the bottom of the box. Luke lifted it out and opened it to the first page. *Luc-Da Jinn Jedi Knight and Daughter of Qui-Gon Jinn and Nalia of the honorable Camaasi* was written in the same hand as the words from the drawings. Turning the page, he found that it was a journal.

*_I knew that he wouldn't live forever_,* one of the first entries began. *_But I didn't know it would hurt so much to lose him._*

Luke stopped here. "I don't know what to do with this," he said to Mara.

She looked over his shoulder at the words in the diary. "Read it," she said as she began to replace the items in the box exactly as they had been removed. When she finished, she kissed Luke's cheek and left him alone with the journal.

*******************

*_He was a good man_,* the journal went on. *_And I will miss him very much_.*

Luke settled in to read the contents of the girl's heart.

*_He died a Jedi. Fighting for the people who needed him to fight against a dark Jedi. I suppose I'll never know the name of the dark Jedi, but I don't care. Obi-Wan told me of his last moments, the duel and it's result. The boy was the last thing on his mind. If I weren't the Jedi I was trained to be, I would have been jealous. But I've met the boy. He's brave and loving and thoughtful not to mention very strong with the Force. He won a pod race on his homeworld of Tatooine and won his own freedom from slavery as well as the parts that were needed to get my father and the group from Naboo to Coruscant. He destroyed the droid control ship, by all accounts, accidentally. Father thought he was the chosen one, the one to bring balance to the Force, but the council thinks otherwise and refuses to allow him to be trained. Their excuse is that he is too old to be trained as a Jedi. They stick too much to their PERCEPTIONS of the Jedi code. Obi-Wan has convinced them to allow him to train the boy—a move motivated, I think, by my father's death—but he is his first student. How well will he be able to teach him?_

My father was one to break the code when he saw fit and was always clashing with the council. His last clash was about the boy. He told Obi-Wan that he would do what he must. He was always thinking of others. The boy and his mother. Amidala. Obi-Wan. He was not able to free Ani's mother—what was her name? Shmi, I think. I hope to someday meet her.

Obi-Wan has been named a full Jedi. Anakin is his Padawan. Of course it will take some time to grow his hair long enough to add a braid signifying his status so Obi-Wan added some of his own tail to make the braid for Ani.

Something about the boy does not feel right. Maybe it is just the misgivings of the council influencing me.

As for Queen Amidala she is glad the Palpatine has been elected Chancellor. She hopes that he will bring sanity to the Republic. He gives me the creeps, the way that he sort of looks right through you. I can sympathize, Luke thought.

__

She gave the R2 unit that saved their lives to Ani for his part in the battle. He is very mechanical and the first thing he did to it was give it a backup memory in case of memory erasure. He said that he did the same thing to the unfinished protocol droid that he left on Tatooine. That should come in handy someday.

-- A new day brings celebrations. The Gungans had a parade and I met the Gungan called Jar-Jar. He told me that Qui-Gon saved his life—twice. At least I think that's what he said. "Mesa woulda bin crushed if it had not been for the Jedi," is what he said. He said some other things, but it was impossible for me to understand. Qui-Gon understood, and I guess that is all that matters.

I try to be happy for them, but all I feel is pain. My father is gone. They gave me his robe and I am grateful, but I feel alone. Obi-Wan tried to give me the lightsaber that my father had carried all of my life, but I insisted that he keep it. He would need it if he was going to be training young Skywalker. He said he would keep it, but just until he could make a new one. I insisted he keep it until Ani was trained. Finally, he agreed.

Luke scanned the next few entries. Most were short, simple details of the day's events. Looking through the pages he realized that the book was several years in the life of Qui-Gon's daughter. He flipped to somewhere in the middle.

__

--As war rages all around us, we stop for the celebration of Amidala's birthday. Ani is just barely seventeen and learning new things every day, but his temper flares. The visit to his mother on the way to Naboo seemed to calm him, but he still gets angry far more than he should. I keep trying to figure out what my father would have done, but it is no use. It is elusive. Obi-Wan has no more of a clue than I do. I wish my father were here. He always knew what to do. Ani's education would not be as much of a worry to Obi-Wan either. 

The only thing I think I disliked about my father was that he was always so serious. I got my Force gifts from him but I got my sense of humor from my mother. I would practically celebrate when I got him to crack a smile. Ani did not know Qui-Gon very long, but I know he loved him and misses him. So do I and so, I think, does Obi-Wan.

Ani does learn things very quickly. When I taught him the song for Amidala's birthday celebration, he had it down in less time than it took me to translate it over, which was very easy since I grew up with my mother speaking it. We do it in perfect synchronization, almost as if we are linked through the Force, which we may well be. Amidala loved it. She couldn't take her eyes off of him although it may be more because he has grown into a very handsome young man. Obi-Wan watched with shining eyes, but I noticed that he wasn't watching Ani at all. He was watching me.

That is something I don't know what to think about. I'm confused about my own feelings for him. Thrown together a lot, we make a good team and I feel a connection to him as I have never felt with anyone else before. Maybe it is just because he witnessed my father's death. Or maybe it is something else entirely. I wish I could ask my father about it.

Luke looked up and thought about that entry. He sat up and dug the personal viewscreen out of the box and activated it. The woman and her companion went through the motions of the dance, the silk of her dress moving with each graceful movement. She had red-gold hair almost the same color as Mara's and it was twined in many tiny braids and wrapped around her head in an intricate design. His attention turned to the young man. He looked so much like Luke himself had at that age. Dressed in Jedi robes with a long braid hanging down behind his right ear and over his shoulder, he kept pace with his companion. When the song finished, Anakin jumped down from what Luke could now see was a table and turned to look back at the woman. Ben came into view looking like he had in the drawing but without the braid and with a short brown beard. He offered to help the woman down, but Anakin said he had it covered. Nimbly the woman hopped off the table and landed in Anakin's waiting arms then he put her on her feet on the floor. Ben gave her a dashing smile and kissed her cheek before the screen went blank.

Luke put the screen down and went back into the box. The braids still lay on top and he pulled them out and wound them side by side through his fingers. *_He was a good friend,_* Ben had told him a long time ago. He slid the red-gold braid from the others and let the remaining two twine against his fingers. They were coarse, but they gave Luke a feeling of warmth. Finally, he picked the book back up and flipped through it until he another entry caught his eye.

_--Bail Organa has been a brilliant strategist through all of this, but what can he do now? The wars are not going well and it is thought that Palpatine may declare himself emperor and declare martial law. This is the downfall of the Republic. The Jedi die every day. Obi-Wan and I realized that Palpatine is not what we think he is and went to tell the council. Yoda has gone away to the Dagobah system, I hear, to fight a dark Jedi there. The rest of the council died in the explosion. Sabotage in the council chamber. The tower still stands but the inside is gone. We scatter, trying to find a place where we can be safe from all of this madness. But I feel nowhere is safe from Palpatine. Good news in the form of the marriage of Ani and Amidala. Perhaps it is not a good time for such things but they have been so in love. I can only hope that they can find some happiness. I know that Qui-Gon would be happy for them. When I spoke to him before he left to return to Naboo, that fateful trip when he was killed by the Darth we now know to have been called Maul, he told me that he thought their futures would intertwine. He told me that Shmi had looked at Amidala once like she was giving her son to him. Maybe she knew in her heart that things would be this way._

Luke felt a lump in his throat. Amidala. That was his mother's name. And Shmi would be his grandmother He flipped through more pages until he saw their names again.

__

--I am beginning to grow tired of hiding. The children will never be safe as long as Palpatine is Emperor. He has turned our friend, Anakin to the Darkside by killing Shmi. He killed his mother. Obi-Wan and I should have been married when Ani and Amidala were married but now it is too late. We have been separated since the day Amidala's twins were born, three horrendous months. I carry his child within me and he doesn't even know. Yet how can I tell him when he is so involved with hiding Ami's twins. I have to admit, they are beautiful. They came quickly, first the boy then the girl. Luke smiled softly at that. He had always felt like he was the elder of them. _But I have other things to concentrate on. Like the children._

--I saw Obi-Wan in the marketplace. Needless to say he was shocked at the revelation that I am pregnant. He wanted to ask me why, but he already knew the answer. Ami's twins, Luke and Leia, grow more each day. They are talking about separating them although I know that is the last thing any of us wants to do. The boy would stay with Ben's brother and sister-in-law on a moisture farm on Tatooine. Growing up in his father's beginnings. The girl will be adopted by Bail Organa here on Alderaan. Ami is only disappointed because they cannot grow up on Naboo. I keep thinking that if my father had lived, maybe Ani wouldn't have turned. Qui-Gon would have trained the boy and he would be the chosen one, the one who brings balance to the force just like my father said he would.

Luke flipped through the pages again. Until he had reached almost the end of the book.

__

--Our hopes have been dashed. Ben went to confront Anakin, now being called Darth Vader, to try to bring him back to our side. Ani thinks that Jedi killed his mother and wouldn't listen to his friend. A lightsaber battle ensued and he fell into a pit of hot lava. We don't even know whether he is dead or alive, but his children remain in their respective hiding spots. Master Yoda says that they should not be told of their father's turning until they have been trained as Jedi. Ben doesn't like it but knows better than to question it. How I wish my father was here!

--I haven't much time. I need to put some closing thoughts on this so I can close the box and give it to Callie for safekeeping. She said she would keep it until I return from Tatooine. My baby girl has grown for two years without much contact with her father. Today I am going to take her there to see him. Her eyes are as green as the pendant Ani made me when he was a teen, her hair the color of mine and curly as my mom's was. I see Qui-Gon in her too. That pensive look that he always had when he was thinking and always serious. I wish he could have been here to know her.

I guess I should tell about what I am putting in the box. The three braids are the Padawan braids of me, Ben and Anakin. Anakin gave me his when he went off to rescue his mother—and never came back. Ben gave me his as a pledge of his love. The scarf was given to me by my father when I cut my braid. Alderaani silk is the finest in the galaxy, second to none. The white pendant is the one that nine year old Anakin made for his friend Padme who turned out to be Queen Amidala in disguise. The green pendant is one he made from a piece of Nubian Jade that he found in the swamps of Naboo. He gave it to me for luck. The robe and lightsaber belonged to my father, the saber having been returned to me, as promised, when Anakin cut his braid. The personal viewscreen holds the holo taken at Ami's birthday by the R2 unit that Ami gave to Ani after the battle of Naboo. The drawings I did a very long time ago, a study of each person as I knew them many years ago. I don't want to forget how things used to be. In the false bottom, I will put this journal. Hopefully I will begin anew someday when things don't look so bad. Hopefully with Obi-Wan. 

I think my father was wrong about Anakin being the chosen one, but time will tell I suppose. Maybe his children will turn him back to the good side and help him do what he is destined to do. Obi may not have wanted to admit it, but there is still good in him. Even if he is nothing but a hideous being in a life support suit.

That was the last entry. Ben had never told him that. Ben had never told him about having a child. Maybe he had lost her and the loss had been too painful for him to share with his student. Luke lay his head back on the couch as he thought about it. When Mara came in, he looked up at her then had a sudden realization. He looked down at the red-gold braid, JUST THE COLOR OF MARA'S HAIR. Flipping back into the journal he found the entry again, "_Her eyes are as green as the pendant Ani made me when he was a teen, her hair the color of mine." _His jaw dropped open.

"What is it Luke?" Mara asked.

He held up the braid. "Look at this," he said as he handed it to her. "It's the same color as yours."

"So?"

He handed her the Jade pendant. "This is the same color as your eyes."

"So?" Mara said again. "What is your problem?"

Luke stood up from his seat, the journal slipping to the floor. "It's just too much of a coincidence," he said as he bent over to pick the volume up. On the floor next to it was a folded sheet that had fallen out of it. Gently, Luke picked the book up and lay it on the edge of the box then reached for the paper. He unfolded it to find that it was another drawing in color. It was a child with red-gold hair and green eyes. And the caption read: *Ben insists on calling her his little Jade girl because her eyes are the exact color of my pendant. So we call her Mara Jade.* 

Luke stood in disbelief. "What do you remember about your parents?" he asked.

"Only that they didn't want to lose me," Mara replied. "What's wrong?"

"Did anything in the box seem familiar?"

"Why?" Mara asked, not sure where this was leading.

"Just… answer me," Luke said softly.

Mara fingered the pendant that she still held in her hand. It was cool to her touch and brought back the memory of it hanging around the slim neck of a woman with her hair color. "This does," Mara replied quietly as she handed the pendant back to him.

"My father made it for her," Luke said then handed her the drawing.

"For my mother," Mara said with surprise as she looked at the drawing. "But who was my father?"

Luke handed her the journal. "Obi-Wan Kenobi," he answered. "It's all in the journal. I think you should read it."

Mara took the journal and held it in the hand without the drawing. "Maybe I'll get to know myself along the way."

****

Chapter 2 

Now Mara knew how Luke had felt about opening the box. She sat in her own quarters staring at the journal as it sat on the table in front of her. Luke had marked the pages that he had read in case she wanted to read those pages as well. Mara had a feeling that those pages had more to do with him then they would with her, so she decided to avoid them for now.

Finally, she opened the book to some early pages and began to read. Somehow she knew that the pages she would read would be something that would have to do with her.

_*-- I made it through the council's tests. My father told me over the comm that he is proud of me, but because of this Trade Federation blockade, he can't be here to watch as Master PyRu cuts my braid. He did have a gift that he left with my master. A scarf of beautiful Alderaanian silk. He said that he picked it out himself. He wasn't smiling, he was so serious, so I said something ridiculous to make him smile. I live to make him smile. Even when he doesn't want to._

--I made it back to Coruscant two days ago before my father got back today. Qui-Gon had this child with him and told me that he was the chosen one before we could even hug. Then he introduced me to his Padawan. The young man could have been no more than two or three years older than I am. His name is Obi-Wan and he is rather cute. I can't believe that I am thinking this, but I hope he becomes a full Jedi soon. I wouldn't mind being close to him. Padawans are forbidden to take any lover until they become a full Jedi. I know, I know. Stupid rule, but it's part of the Jedi Code and it kind of makes sense. They should be concentrating on their training, not their extra-curricular activities.

--The situation on Naboo has grown critical. Qui-Gon has gone back to Naboo to find out more about a dark Jedi he came across on Tatooine. I did get to hear what had happened to lead him to the desert planet. Upon arriving on the Neimodian ship to begin negotiations, they were attacked and the ship that took them there was destroyed with the crew still aboard. Father and Obi-Wan made it down to the planet to warn the queen about the invasion. They escaped in the queen's ship but did not escape clean. Damage to the ship caused a severe power loss, so they had to stop on Tatooine. That's where the found this boy who helped them get the parts they needed by winning a pod race. They were attacked by the dark Jedi as they left.

Now they return to Naboo, and I have a very bad feeling about things. When I said goodbye to my father, I had the feeling that we would never see each other again. I wish I could go with them, but I have work here.*

Mara looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath before going back to the journal. She flipped through the pages then stopped to read an entry about Queen Amidala's birthday party which made her curious about the visual she spoke of. She picked up the personal viewscreen and watched the visual singing with a smile. After it finished, she turned back to the journal and read the next entry. It described what had happened after the party.

__

*-- Obi-Wan escorted me back to my room last night then was going to join Anakin in their room, but I invited him in. I still don't know what made me do it. He never made it back to his room. As I sit here writing this, he lays sleeping in my bed. IN MY BED. I wonder if Anakin missed him last night.

He's asleep again, having interrupted my thoughts with kisses down my back for more love-making. Using the Force in our love-making made it incredibly intense and memorable to say the least. There is a certain area in one's mind that when touched by another causes intense pleasure. Qui-Gon must have taught Obi something about it because he knew just what to do, just where to touch me mentally and physically to make the experience that much more intense. He taught me and we shared something very strong and special. I feel closer to him than I have felt to anyone before in my life. We share a link that keeps us close. I have discovered that it was always there, just not experienced. Now I'm electrified just by his touch or even by a look—like the one he's giving me now. I think I'll go back to bed. J *

Mara chuckled at the words. The description of Luc-Da's link with Obi-Wan sounded a lot like her link with Luke. She wondered about the pleasure area and scanned through the book until she found something else about it.

__

*-- It's been many years since Ben and I were together for the first time, but each time we are together that way it seems like the first time. Recent events have kept us from even seeing each other for awhile but tonight we had some time to ourselves. Amidala was sleeping in the room I share with her and Ben gave me that look and a little Force nudge. This time we took it a little more slowly, reaching in and finding the pleasure center of each other's minds and working our way around. Slowly we went from Force love-making to physical love-making. The pleasure we brought to each other was something like I had never felt before and probably will never feel again. I don't think that anything could have come between us in those special moments. Not even Amidala having her babies.*

The entry was so personal, so private that Mara felt like she was intruding as she read it. It did, however, give her insight into her mother's relationship with her father. She flipped some more pages and found one that detailed her birth.

__

*-- Ben doesn't want me up just yet as I am still a bit weak but he knows that I hate being cooped up. Our daughter is beautiful. In a way I'm glad that the Jedi academies have been destroyed. She is strong in the Force and they would come for her at six months old. I don't want to lose her and neither does Ben. I just hope we can keep her safe until she is old enough to become a Jedi. Anakin's Jedi children are very healthy regardless of how they were brought into the world. Ben had to hide them and their mother in a trunk to keep them from being discovered on the way to Alderaan. Hiding them may be the only chance they have.*

Mara was sure that she was speaking of Luke and Leia. Reading how important she was to her parents was very emotional, something she wasn't quite used to. She went on to read the next entry.

__

*--I dreamt last night that Luke and Mar grew up to become Jedi. They were married and had children of their own. When I told Ben of the dream, he said it was a Jedi vision and that he hoped it would come true. I hope it comes true myself. Luke will make a great Jedi. Like his father was before he was turned. Mar will make a good Jedi as well and my father would be proud of her. I think Qui-Gon would be proud of Ben as well, even with his failures. I wish he were here now, to see his granddaughter if nothing else. Sometimes I feel as if he were by my side, guiding me and letting me know that he is still proud of me.*

Mara herself could almost feel the eyes of her grandfather on her and shining with pride as she read the entry. She flipped through some pages until she came to almost the end.

__

*-- Mara grows like a weed. She hasn't left my side since the day she was born. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about her father. I miss Ben so much, but the twins are more important right now. They are a threat to Palpatine's regime. They must survive to become Jedi. The Galaxy needs them.

--The Jedi children that we, Callista and I, have been hiding will be scattered to the four winds. The children will be hidden, with the total renouncement of their powers, with various families on various worlds around the galaxy from Naboo to Bakura. The Bakurans are a bit wary of them because of an incident with a dark Jedi several months ago but when we promised that they would not be using their powers at all, they agreed to take the children. There were, after all, only two of them.

--We had a brief visit with Ben on Tatooine. We were only able to spend a couple of days with him and they were nowhere near enough for any of us. Mara cried when we left, but I calmed her with a promise that we would be back. I know it tore his heart out to watch us go but he promised soon. Soon we'll be together and we won't have to be apart ever again. I can't wait for that day either and couldn't help crying as I kissed him goodbye. Ben and I made love again that last night we were there. As Mara slept, we touched minds and hearts and bodies until we were both exhausted. It's only been a couple of hours but I miss him already.

--All the months and years since my father died have been full—maybe too full. I still miss him. Sometimes I wonder if Ani ever thinks of him, but being who he is now, I don't think he does. We stopped on Alderaan on the way back to meet Callista on Belsavis. Leia, too, is getting big. Amidala said that she gave Ani's droids to a Lieutenant Antillies after she had their memories wiped. I wish she hadn't had to do that but they know about the twins. What if they somehow got back to the Empire and Vader got hold of them? I can't even dream of calling that man Anakin anymore. He may be the same person outside, but he's not the same man inside. We all miss Anakin.*

Mara read the last entry detailing the contents of the box then closed up the book. She lay it back on the table and wondered about the droids that her mother had spoken of. With a mental shrug, she pushed herself up off the couch and headed out to find Luke to discuss wedding plans over dinner with Leia and Han.

**************************

Deep in the bowels of Mount Tantiss, people worked to catalogue the items that the Emperor had, for some strange reason, saved. Boxes and boxes of things that had been hidden for decades were covered with dust. Shaala Maylor was the head of the historians who were sent to do the job. There was a lot of items that had been owned by Jedi—lightsabers, garments and the like—but no information about them that the Jedi historians could use to help Master Skywalker in his academy existed among them. Among the items they found a slab of carbonite... with someone still frozen inside. 

Shaala checked the readings and as far as she could tell, the person was still alive, and in the suspended animation of carbon hibernation. Who knew how long the person had been there. Shaala felt like she should release the person. He or she would probably be alright. If any more time went by, the person might die or be released when the galaxy was no longer familiar to them.

Shaala studied the keypad for a few minutes then activated the de-freezing process. The machine hummed for a minute making Shaala think that perhaps the de-freeze cycle was malfunctioning but then there was a buzz and the carbonite melted away revealing that the person was a woman. It finished the process with a whoosh and Shaala stood over her waiting for her to take a first breath. When she didn't, Shaala reached down and shook her with a jerk. The woman gasped for air before breathing normally.

"Don't hurt my daughter," she pleaded.

"I'm not going to hurt anyone," Shaala said. "Can you walk?"

"I don't know," the woman said. "I'm cold."

"Hibernation sickness," Shaala told her. "Let me help you."

She pulled the woman away from the bed where she had been for so long and helped her to her feet. She was practically wrapped in a billowy brown robe and when it fell open, Shaala could see that she wore tan clothing underneath. What caught her eye the most, however, was the lightsaber that hung at her belt. "You're Jedi?!" she gasped with surprise.

"Don't take me to the Emperor," she begged. "The children... My daughter... they need me."

"The Emperor is dead and the children you speak of are likely adults by now," Shaala told her as she led the woman, blinded by the hibernation sickness, to the medical center that they had set up. "He was killed fifteen years ago."

"Fifteen years!" the woman exclaimed as they arrived at the med center and Shaala gave her into the care of the medical droid.

Carefully, the droid began to pull away the woman's clothing as Shaala explained. "The Rebellion destroyed his armored space station and he was on it."

"What about Vader?"

"He's dead, too. I think he was on the Death Star," Shaala said. "Some historian I am. I can't even tell you how Vader died."

The woman smiled. "That's OK. You CAN tell me how long Palpatine was in power, can't you?"

"That I can do," Shaala said. "He was in power for around twenty five years."

The woman did some calculations in her head. "Thirty-six years," she said. "Give or take."

"That's how long you've been in the carbonite?" Shaala said as she helped the woman up on the bed. "You just get some rest. I'm going to put a call through to Coruscant. What's your name by the way?"

"Luc-Da Jinn," came the answer. "But don't mention it yet. I want to speak to the Jedi first." She raised her head. "There ARE Jedi, aren't there?"

"Yes," Shaala responded. "There are Jedi."

The woman put her head back down on the bed. "Thank you."

*******************

Luc-Da stared up at the dusty ceiling of the med center and waited for Shaala's return. Having been able to center herself and make herself calm, she was more able to heal herself of the hibernation sickness. She was almost one-hundred percent. Almost.

Shaala returned to her side to be surprised that Luc-Da could see perfectly. "How...?"

"Jedi healing techniques," was her reply. "What did Coruscant say?"

"The Jedi Master is a bit preoccupied with his wedding plans," Shaala said. "So we're going to meet with him on Coruscant."

Luc-Da pushed herself up of the bed and landed on her feet on the floor. "When do we leave?"

Shaala smiled. "You in a hurry?"

"I want to find my daughter," Luc-Da smiled. "And what happened to her father."

"A friend of the Master's will be stopping on his way back to Coruscant," Shaala told her. "He'll be taking us there with him."

"Good," Luc-Da said. "By the way, what is the name of the Jedi Master you spoke of?"

She half expected the woman to say Yoda but was surprised when she said instead, "Luke Skywalker." She paused. "He was a hero of the Rebellion."

Luc-Da stared at her. "Luke Skywalker son of Anakin Skywalker?"

"That's what I've heard," Shaala replied. "You OK?"

"Fine," Luc-Da said. "Meeting him is more imperative than ever now."

****

Chapter 3 

She was a tall woman, almost as tall as Talon Karrde, but still beautiful. The carbonation process had preserved her youth and beauty for a long time. Her hair was cropped close in a boyish style and she was muscular. He was curious about her but she said nothing save her name. She said her name was Espa Myn and that she had been a historian in a long line of historians for the old Republic. Karrde had no way of testing her, but listened to the story she told of a queen and a slave boy who won a pod race to help her. He knew it had to be a fairy tale because no human could ever race a pod, much less win a race. Their reflexes just weren't fast enough.

The trip to Coruscant was shorter than he would have expected with his guest aboard. She kept the light-years from getting dull.

***************************

Luke handed Mara a glass of opaque Corellian wine and sat down next to her across from Leia and Han. "Well?" he asked.

"If you like it," Mara began. "Then I like it."

"Then it's settled," Leia said. "I'll have the builders start on it first thing in the morning."

"Do we even have specs for what it used to look like?" Han asked.

"I don't know," Leia said. "We can ask Shaala to check around when she gets here."

"Shaala Maylor?" Mara asked to a nod from Leia. "I thought she was working at Mount Tantiss to catalogue the Emperor's junk."

Luke hid a smile. "She's on her way here with someone who wants to meet us," he said. "I'm sure she'll have specs on the old throne room."

They were talking about the uppermost throne room in the old Imperial palace. It had served as Palpatine's throne room for visiting dignitaries. It seemed almost as if it was on top of the world, and there was a view of 360 degrees. Mara hadn't been sure at first, but when Leia said that they could have it renovated, she agreed that they could hold the wedding there. Something about the room told them that they should.

The comm beeped and Leia stood to answer it. For the minute or so that she was gone, Han, Luke and Mara discussed the wedding. Han agreed that it should be small but also warned them that Leia would want to make it an event.

"That was the landing bay," Leia told them. "Kaarde is here with our visitors."

With that, the four adjourned to the landing bay.

Kaarde escorted the stranger out of the ship. Her hair was close cropped and bleached blonde with just a tinge of red. Her eyes were blue-green and she wore a simple jumpsuit which seemed to be a size smaller than she was comfortable with. Shaala was behind them.

"Master Skywalker, Leia, General Solo, Mara," Shaala began, saying each name in introduction. "This is Espa Myn. She is an historian and expert on the Jedi."

Luke reached out his hand and shook Espa's. "Do I know you?"

"I don't believe that we have ever met," Espa answered.

"I have a million questions to ask you," Luke said. "I guess the first should be to ask where you came from."

"I've been everywhere," Espa replied. "But I was born here on Coruscant."

"How much do you know about the city?" Leia asked.

"Quite a bit," Espa said. "But that was a long time ago. I wouldn't mind finding out what has changed."

Han took her arm. "I think I know what Leia has on her mind," he said. "Can I take you somewhere?"

"Lead on," Espa said with a smile. 

Han led her away and out of the hangar. When Espa saw the building which they were about to enter, she stopped with a suddenness that almost knocked Han over.

"What is it?" Luke asked.

Espa's sense was unreadable, but he could see surprise in her face. "What an interesting building," she finally choked out.

"It's the Imperial palace," Mara told her.

Espa looked at her but she was still unreadable. As suddenly as she had stopped, she started again. "Where are we going?" she asked as the went in the main entrance.

"One of the Emperor's old throne rooms," Han answered.

"Where is it?"

The tower," Leia answered for him. "We've wanted to do something with it for quite some time. It'll be the perfect place for Luke's wedding but we want to have it renovated back to how it originally was."

"The tower," Espa said thoughtfully.

"Have you ever been to Tatooine?" Luke asked her as they stepped on the lift.

"Once or twice," was Espa's answer.

"There was an old town near Beggar's Canyon called Mos Espa," Luke said. "I used to play in the ruins. Have you ever heard of it?"

Espa looked a bit dreamy eyed for a second before she answered. "It was destroyed by the Empire."

"Why would the Empire destroy a town on Tatooine?" Luke asked incredulously.

"I wouldn't know," Espa said. For the first time and only for a second, Luke could read her. What he saw was that she was lying.

The lift doors opened and they went down a short corridor to the throne room. As soon as Espa entered, she stopped. Mara and Luke walked across the room and watched as she looked around the room with awe.

"Luke this doesn't feel right," Mara said.

"I know," Luke replied. "She lied about Mos Espa."

"Why would she do that?"

Luke shrugged and turned back to Espa. "What do you think?"

"He liked red an awful lot," she said.

Thick red curtains hung at the windows looking out over the city and the floor was done in red and black tile designs. At one end of the room was a large seat set up on a dais. "That has definitely got to go," Espa said with a gesture towards it. "The curtains, too. They're horrible. And the tile definitely doesn't go with the way the room should be. Maybe the original is underneath."

"Can you tell what it looked like before?" Leia asked.

"Maybe if we take up the tile and scrape off some of the paint...," Espa said.

"Do you know what it looked like before?" Mara asked.

A strange looked crossed Espa's face before she answered. "Probably not exactly, but we can look at what's underneath and see what we've got." She turned to Luke. "I'm getting a bit tired and could use some rest. Could you tell me where I'll be staying?"

"I'll show you to some rooms," Han put in before Luke could answer. "You guys talk it over and we'll get back to you." He stuck out his elbow and Espa took it. They were followed closely by Shaala.

After they left, Leia turned to Luke and said, "She was lying."

"You sensed it too?" Mara asked.

Leia nodded. "Why would she lie like that?"

"I don't know," Luke replied. "But she seems familiar."

"I thought so too," Mara said. "Like I'd seen her just recently."

It was like there was a sudden itch in Luke's mind. "Recently," he said thoughtfully and wandered off.

"What's his problem all of a sudden?" Mara asked.

"Can't you tell?"

"No. You?"

Leia shook her head. "I think he knows who she is now."

*****************

Espa, also known as Luc-Da Jinn, sat at the small table in the quarters she had been assigned to. Her task was to write in a journal whose pages were mostly blank. She was engrossed in her entry.

_*--Today is the first day of the rest of my life... and what a life it is. Thirty-six years have passed and I have seen my friend Anakin's twins as adults and met their significant others. Was that really MY Mara whom they said would be marrying Luke? She looked like... It had to be her. I have to find out what happened to Ben. He has to know that I am alive! But what if he is dead? I don't want to think about that possibility but I have to. I miss him so much! I miss the taste of his lips on mine, the feel of his hands on my body, the feel of his mind in mine. I just...*_

A knock pulled Luc-Da from her memories and she stood and pushed herself away from the table. Putting up her boundaries, she went and answered the door to find Luke Skywalker waiting with a box in his arms. Her box. The one she had given Callista for safekeeping. How did he get it?

Luke saw the startled look cross her face but ignored it. "I thought since you are an expert on the Jedi that you would like to see this."

"Come in," she said with a wave of her hand. She quickly closed her journal and moved it aside to where Luke could not see it.

Carefully she opened the box and tried to be matter-of-fact when she looked at the things inside. Touching Anakin's and Ben's braids took her back to the past and she had trouble pushing them aside. With a look at Luke, she realized that he knew.

"You know," she said quietly.

"Luc-Da, why did you lie?" he asked.

"Because I don't want to be a Jedi anymore," was her reply. "It hurts too much. I lost my father as a Jedi, and my friend to the dark side. I have no idea what happened to Ben." She looked at Luke's face and knew. "He's dead."

"Let me tell you what happened," Luke said then, sitting her down on the couch, told her everything from when he had bought the droids until the celebration on Endor.

Tears sparkled in her eyes. "He came back," she said softly as she fingered his braid.

"Were you really born here on Coruscant?" Luke asked.

"Nope," Luc-Da said. "Camaas."

"Do you ever wear the traditional braids?"

"Only when my hair is long enough," she answered as she ran her hand over the close cropped hair.

"Do you still miss Qui-Gon?" Luke asked, pronouncing it Kwee-Gone.

"Kwhy-Gone," Luc-Da corrected him.

"I'd never heard it pronounced," Luke explained. "Sorry."

"No problem," she replied. "How did you learn of him?"

"Your journal," he said as he reached in the box and pulled the object out.

"Did you read it all?" she asked as she took it from him.

"Mostly the parts about my father," Luke answered. "Mara read other parts. And from what she said, I'd gather some of them were rather personal."

"They were," she replied as she held the journal to her chest. Luke didn't pick up any embarrassment in her voice or her sense.

"You loved him very much," Luke said. It wasn't a question.

"I still do," she replied.

Luke shook his head. "He never said anything about you or your daughter."

"He never spoke about Qui-Gon after he died either," Luc-Da said. "My father was like a father to him. I guess the pain was just too much for him."

"He said that Master Yoda was his teacher," Luke said.

"He was," Luc-Da said. "Until Obi-Wan was taken as Padawan to Master Qui-Gon Jinn."

"Padawan?"

"Apprentice," Luc-Da explained.

Luke nodded in understanding then went on with his questions. "Why did you lie about Mos Espa?"

Luc-Da leaned back and looked at the ceiling. Mos Espa. She couldn't help but cry. "We tried to get her out before Palpatine's agents could kill her but we were too late." She paused to wipe the tears from her cheek. "He had Shmi killed and us blamed. Ani turned swiftly when he found out about it. After he recovered from the duel with Ben he went to Tatooine and evacuated the slaves before destroying the town from orbit."

Luke was silent with shock for a few seconds before he spoke. "Evacuated the slaves?"

"When Qui-Gon found him, he was a slave in a junkyard and owned by a Toydarian called Watto," Luc-Da explained.

"He was a slave?"

"Until he was nine, yes," she replied.

"Obi-Wan told me that he was a pilot when they met," Luke said.

"That was true from a certain point of view," Luc-Da said.

Luke smiled. "I guess this is where a certain point of view came from."

"My father had a point of view all his own," she told him with a smile then went on to explain about Anakin. "Ani raced pods. He was great at it. He won a pod race to get parts for Ami's ship."

Luke nodded. "I read that in your journal. It also said something about droids with backup memory."

"Backup—Oh my—I can't believe we didn't wipe the backup memory!" she said hitting herself in the head with the heel of her hand.

"You forgot," Luke said with a smile. "What happened to them?"

"Ami sold them to a lieutenant on Alderaan," Luc-Da replied. "And since Alderaan is dust... so are the droids."

Luke shrugged. "It doesn't matter I guess. I just thought that maybe we could see any holos that the R2 unit took from back then."

"R2-D2 never left Ani's side," Luc-Da said. "He could've... is something wrong?"

"It couldn't be," Luke said with a shake of his head. He looked up at Luc-Da. "I have an R2 unit that I've had since I left Tatooine."

Luc-Da smiled strangely. "You think?"

"There's only one way to find out," Luke replied. "Were you familiar with the systems of that R2 unit?"

"I used to watch Ani tinker with him."

"Let's go take a look."

*****************************

Luc-Da sat in front of the R2 unit and opened the door behind which Anakin had placed the backup memory. "Yup, there it is," she said.

"I had always wondered what that was," Luke said as he squatted down next to the pair. "How do you load the backup memory into the regular memory?"

Luc-Da reached in and tinkered with the circuts. Suddenly, R2 began beeping a string of beeps too fast for either to understand clearly. His dome twirled about and he squealed.

"What was that all about?" Luke asked.

"He was just exclaiming about an explosion," Luc-Da said. "The one that killed most of the Jedi Council."

Luke looked up at her suddenly. "The throne room! That's what it was before. The Jedi Council Chamber!"

"Your insight serves you well," Luc-Da said. "Now where is your other droid."

"C-3PO?"

Luc-Da nodded. "He's got backups, too."

"How would you know that?"

"R2-D2 just told me that C-3PO is the droid that your father built when he was still a slave," Luc-Da said.

"I think we'd better wait on that for later," Luke said then went on thoughtfully. "It gives new meaning to the phrase, 'Thank the maker,' though."

"You mean he still says that?" Luc-Da said with a laugh.

**********************

Mara came into Luke's room to find that it was dark. She flipped the lights on to find Luke sitting on the floor meditating. Not expecting him, Mara jumped slightly with a small gasp.

"Why are you sitting here in the dark?" she asked.

"Meditation goes better when it's dark," he said without opening his eyes.

Mara noticed that the box was gone from the table. "Where's the box?"

"I gave it to L—uh, Espa to look over," Luke replied.

"You know more than you're telling me," Mara stated.

Luke opened one eye. "Ask me again sometime," was all he said before he closed it again.

Mara stood trying to figure out how to go about doing what she had gone in there for so Luke opened both eyes and looked up at her. "I've never known you to hesitate like that," he said. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking about the journal," she replied. "There was something mentioned that I want to try with you."

"What?" Luke asked.

Mara came and sat down next to him on the floor. "My mother and father used to touch each other through the Force to enhance their love-making."

Luke didn't blush like she had expected him to. "Do you know how?"

"From what I gathered, there is a place in a person's mind that is geared toward pleasure," Mara told him. She wasn't able to say anything more when Luke reached out and took her hand.

She felt him draw the Force around them like a curtain then waited as he tentatively probed her mind for the spot she spoke of. When he found it, he gave a little nudge and Mara gasped. "That's it," she said breathlessly. 

Luke pulled back a little to explore the new discovery as Mara reached out and touched him in the same manner. His lips parted, but neither of them noticed. It was if they were standing naked with hands and lips roaming the other's body, exploring to find what would cause the greatest pleasure. Mara shook with pleasure as Luke pushed deeper and lay his head down in her lap. It was as intense as Luc-Da had described it. Mara pushed deeper as well and the bond between them strengthened as they made love through the Force.

When their lips finally met and they began the physical part of it, neither noticed the other pulling at their clothes for inside they were already naked and pressed up to one another. 

Long moments later, both were bathed in sweat and pressed face to face on the floor where they had begun. Neither wanted to separate, but they knew they would have to eventually. Finally, Luke sighed and kissed Mara one last time before pulling away to dress. Mara pulled herself up and watched him dress before gathering her own clothes. Neither said a word until both were dressed and sitting side by side on the floor once again.

"That was...," Luke began before realizing that he didn't have the words to describe it.

"Incredible," Mara finished as she lay her head on his shoulder.

"Incredible is hardly the word I would use to describe what just happened," Luke replied.

Mara laughed. "We should have tried it sooner."

Luke agreed and just sat enjoying Mara's company. They both jumped when Mara's comlink beeped. She pulled it out and thumbed it on. "What is it?"

Leia's voice came through the link. "Mara, we're supposed to be shopping for a dress, remember?"

Mara checked the time and realized that she and Luke had taken a lot longer than she had thought they had. She cursed. "I'll be there in a few Leia," she told her sister-in-law-to-be before thumbing off the link. "If it were up to me, I'd just wear my regular flight suit," she said as she got up off the floor. She leaned back down and kissed Luke passionately before rushing out.

****

Chapter 4

Weeks had passed and Luke and Luc-Da were having a practice duel on the roof of the Imperial palace. He was impressed by her ability. "I don't think the fancy footwork is necessary," he told her.

"Ah, but it is," Luc-Da said. "This is the way my own father taught me to fight." She struck forward only to be blocked then feigned a move to the left before striking to the right. Luke blocked every move.

"Doesn't it throw you off?" Luke asked.

"It's just like a dance," she replied. "If you keep the rhythm, you don't risk stepping on any toes."

Luke smiled. "Is that how he taught you?"

"No, that's how I described it to him," Luc-Da said as she moved forward on the offensive again. Luke defended every blow with ease. "Master Windu used to say that my father was the best swordsman in over four hundred years."

"How good was Ben?"

"He learned from the best," Luc-Da replied. "He was very good with his lightsaber, too."

They fought in silence for awhile. Luke was pretty good with his own saber, but finally Luc-Da got the better of him and knocked it out of his hand and across the roof.

"That was a good move," Luke said as Luc-Da shut her lightsaber down. He gathered his own saber and the two headed down to where they could take the lift to the tower. "If the tower used to be the council chamber," he went on. "Then what was the Imperial Palace?"

"The Jedi Academy," she replied matter-of-factly. "I never went to this one of course. I went to the one on Camaas."

"What was Camaas like?"

"It was a lot like Alderaan," she replied.

"I've never been to Alderaan," Luke said as they got on the lift. "At least not that I remember."

"No you weren't," Luc-Da said. "You were born in hiding on Dagobah."

Luke seemed far off for a second. "That's why it felt familiar the first time I went to see Master Yoda."

Luc-Da went on. "After Dagobah, your mother took you back to Naboo, hoping to hide you with the Gungans. She couldn't make that possibility a reality, however. You went to Tatooine when you were two."

Luke nodded as the lift doors opened and they walked out and down the short corridor to the chamber. Luc-Da gasped when she went inside.

"I was right," she said. "He just covered the old stuff up."

Luke moved to stand in the center of the floor. The old design was starting to show but was dim because of layers of glue used to keep the tile on.

"We're waiting for the solvent that will take up the glue without taking off the design," one of the workmen told her. She wasn't listening.

Luke stood exactly where his father had when they had named him a full Jedi. A tear sneaked from her eye and she couldn't move remembering. Obi-Wan had stepped forward with a pair of scissors and clipped the Padawan braid from his head. He had wrapped it around his hand then slipped it off and handed it to his former Padawan. It wasn't much later that he married Amidala on Naboo in a grand ceremony. She blinked the tears back and looked up at Luke.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Luc-Da nodded. "The memories are still very fresh in my mind," she said.

"I wouldn't have expected anything less," Luke said as he touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry if they're painful."

Luc-Da shook her head. "The memories aren't painful," she said. "Coming back to the present is."

"I understand," Luke said. "It's like falling asleep with the galaxy one way and waking with it suddenly changed."

She wiped the tears from her eyes. "That's it exactly. The world has gone on without me."

"You miss Ben," Luke stated.

"I miss him very much," she said trying to push away the sudden wave of nausea that had been coming with the memories.

"I miss him too," Luke said. "But not in the same way I suppose."

Luc-Da smiled at that. "No. Not in the same way." She was quiet, letting the nausea go and taking a deep breath. "Have you told Mara who I am?"

"No," Luke replied. "I think you should tell her."

Luc-Da sighed. "I just KNEW you were going to say that."

********************

Mara came to find Espa pacing outside of Luke's door. "Won't he let you in?" she asked.

Espa turned to her and smiled. Mara again had the sudden feeling that she knew this person but couldn't place where she knew her from. "I need to talk to you about something," Espa said.

"What is it?" Mara asked. She felt a twinge of jealousy but pushed it away. Luke had been spending a lot of time with Espa then he would come back to her and they would make love for hours on end. Mara was clueless as to what about this woman caused such passion from her husband-to-be, but had no idea what to do about it either.

"Do you remember your parents?"

The question was a total surprise to Mara. "A little. Why do you ask?"

"I knew them," Espa said.

"How?" Mara demanded.

Luc-Da drew a blank. How do I go on? She thought. Luke opened the door to his room and held up the journal from the box in his hand. Luc-Da reached over and took it from him then handed it to Mara. "This was your mother's journal," she said.

Mara flipped through it. "I realize that."

Luc-Da drew back and tried again. "Luc-Da was frozen in carbonite for the trip to Palpatine by the bounty hunters who captured her. I can't tell you why he didn't just kill her. Maybe he wanted a souvenir." She looked back to Luke who held up her present journal. "This is the journal she carried with her," Luc-Da said as she took the journal and gave it to Mara. Mara flipped it open to the first entry and read it.

_*-- We're on our way back to Tatooine—for good this time. Mara is excited about getting to see her father again and I can't say as I blame her. I feel a certain excitement as well.*_

Mara paused to look up at Luc-Da. "Where did you get this?"

"I had it with me when they froze me in carbonite," Luc-Da said carefully, gauging her reaction. At first she didn't react; went back to reading the journal entry.

*Maybe when I get there, Ben and I will finally be able to marry and live semi-happily ever after. I got my hair cut short again before I left last time. The heat on Tatooine is almost unbearable with my long braids and I don't let my hair be without them as a gesture of respect for my people, most of who died when Palpatine destroyed the atmosphere of Camaas. I tied the locks with the red ribbon I used to tie in Mara's hair and gave them to Ben. It might have seemed like a silly gift to anyone else, but Ben was grateful. He has a piece of me and of Mara when we are gone. I simply can't wait to get home. Home. I never though I'd ever think of Tatooine as home, but wherever Ben is, well, that's home to me.*

__

Suddenly it struck Mara as to what the woman had said. "You had it with you? You were frozen in carbonite?"

Luc-Da nodded. "I've tried to prepare myself for this but I guess there is no way to..." she started to take a deep breath to go on, but Mara beat her to the punch.

"Luc-Da?!" Mara looked at her and saw a bit of herself in the woman's green eyes. They weren't as deep a green as Mara's, but they were green. Her hair was sun-bleached blonde, but she could still see the red in it. It was almost the same exact color as Mara's.

Anger flashed across Mara's face, but she controlled it quickly. Turning to Luke, she yelled. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"It was something she had to do," he replied as he nodded towards the other woman.

"I'm sorry," Luc-Da said.

Memories that she had thought were long gone flooded through Mara's mind. The bundle of Luc-Da's hair tied with a red ribbon and laid in the waiting hands of her father. The green Nubian Jade pendant hanging around her mothers neck, he long hair piled on top of her head as she sang an old lullaby, the words of which were lost to her. The visit to Alderaan where she met the lovely Amidala and her daughter Leia. The bounty hunters freezing her mother in carbonite and taking her to Palpatine, then known as Sidious. The beginning of her training to become his killer.

For the first time in Mara's life since she could remember, she began to cry. Her knees buckled and she started to fall, only to have Luc-Da there to catch her. She held Mara in her arms and Luke just watched them for a few minutes before passers-by began staring and he helped them inside. He left them alone while Mara cried thirty-six years worth of tears. It took quite some time for her to finish. When she finished, she looked up into Luc-Da's eyes, only to realize that she had been crying the whole time as well. She pushed away and stood up to walk across the room and grab a hanky from a drawer. She brought one back for Luc-Da to use to dry her eyes as well.

"I don't usually get that emotional," Mara said.

Luc-Da shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she said. "My family has never been that emotional. I lived just to make my father smile."

Mara smiled. "Tell me about him."

"Later," Luc-Da said. "I've got some work to do. The solvent for the floor in the tower came. I want to be there to watch when they take up the last of the glue."

Mara got to her feet them helped Luc-Da there as well. "I take it you used go to that room now and again," she said.

"Now and again," Luc-Da replied. "It was the Jedi council chambers."

"Makes sense I guess," Mara said. "I'm coming with you."

Luc-Da nodded. "Whatever you say."

************************

Mara waited for Luke to return from wherever he had gone. She had told Luc-Da how they met and the circumstances surrounding her hatred for Luke. Then she explained he they had discovered that they had fallen in love somewhere along the way of this rocky friendship. Now Luc-Da had gone to get some much needed sleep and Mara awaited Luke in his apartments. When he finally returned, she kissed him.

"What was that for?" he asked as he pulled his Jedi robe off.

"Nothing and everything," she replied and she dragged him off to the bedroom.

The End


	2. After ep 3 rewrite

**The Gift **By Aunty Pasta

Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to George Lucas. I'm just borrowing them. I'm not making any money or anything, so please nobody sue me.

This story takes place a few days after the end of "Vision of the Future" and there are small spoilers for that book. There are also spoilers for Episode 1.

Synopsis: Luke Skywalker meets Qui-Gon Jinn through the diary of a Jedi and gets to know his father and mother when they met.

**Chapter 1**

Luke flopped down on the couch. The last few weeks had been harrowing to say the least, but Luke had the feeling the next few weeks would be worse. His upcoming wedding to Mara had already gotten a lot of attention from not only Coruscant, but the whole galaxy. A steady stream of visitors and well wishers had been going through the palace—and his days—since the announcement had been made. Mara had finally taken refuge by completely leaving the planet. She was doing some things for Karrde that would ease her departure from the organization.

When there was a knock on the door, Luke winced. 'Not again,' he thought.

He got out of his chair and headed for the door. He opened it quickly and got out, "Look, I'd like to…" before he saw who it was.

His old love Callista stood in the doorway with a large wooden box in her arms. "Callie?"

Callista smiled. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just wanted to wish you well."

"I…,"Luke began. "Uh, come in." He stepped aside to let her into the room.

"Where's Mara?" Callista asked.

"Finishing some business for Karrde," Luke said. "What are you doing here?"

"I have something for you," she said as she set the box down on the nearest table.

It was of a dark wood that Luke had never seen before and intricately carved with a small latch on one side. "What is it?" Luke asked as he studied the box.

"Something that will tell you a lot more than you ever thought you would know," Callista told him. "It belonged to a Jedi named Luc-Da Jinn. Her father was a Jedi Master. She gave it to me for safe keeping when she left for Tatooine to meet…" she stopped. "Actually, I think you need to find that out for yourself."

Luke looked up at her. "Why didn't you bring this to me sooner?"

Callista looked sheepish. "I forgot where I hid it."

Luke could only smile. "Can I offer you something?"

"No," Callista said. "I've got a transport to catch."

Luke smiled then leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "I'm glad you came," he said.

"Have a good life with Mara," Callista said as she opened the door to leave. "I knew she was the right one for you from the moment I met her. Problem was, it took me a long time to figure that out."

"Me too," Luke replied. "Thanks."

He was still sitting on the couch looking at the box when Mara came in. It had been two days since Callista had brought it and he still hadn't gotten up the courage to see what was inside. "What's going on?" she asked.

Luke stood. "It's a gift," he told her.

"I see you opened it," Mara commented sarcastically.

"I haven't had the nerve to see what's inside," Luke said.

Mara sat Luke down on the couch and sat down next to him. "Open it," she ordered softly.

Luke looked back down at the box, then resigned himself to opening it. He leaned forward and placed his hand on the carved wood of the lid. After a second of feeling the intricate carvings, he opened it. On top of a swatch of silk fabric were three long, thin braids of human hair, one a dark blonde, one brown and one red-gold. Luke lifted them out of the box, fingering them as the wrapped them around his hand. 'I wonder what is important about these,' he thought. With a glance back at Mara, he set them aside.

The silk was a fine silk scarf. Mara took the scarf in her hands and looked at it carefully. "This is Alderaanian," she said.

Luke raised his eyebrows and looked back into the box. Next were two hand carved pieces, one a square of some unknown white wood and the other of a green stone in the shape of a heart. Both had black cords which could be tied around a person's neck and were carved in similar designs leading Luke to believe they had been carved by the same person. He picked the white pendant out of the box and held it in his hand. It felt cold in his hand but he could feel the warmth that had made it in his heart.

Mara picked up the other pendant. "These are beautiful," she said. Luke only nodded as he handed the white one to her so she could lay them aside.

The next item in the box was a black cloak like the ones Jedi Masters used to wear. "I wonder who that used to belong to," Mara commented.

"Her father," Luke replied.

"Who's father?" Mara asked.

"Luc-Da Jinn's," Luke replied.

"Who…," Mara started.

Luke turned to her. "Callista brought the box. It was a friend of hers."

"Callista was here?"

Luke nodded. "She wanted to wish you well, but she had to go back to wherever she had been."

"Where was that?"

"I didn't ask and she didn't say," Luke replied as he set the robe aside and turned back to the box.

Under the robe was a lightsaber. Luke picked it up and flipped the switch. The saber's green blade rushed out with a hum. Luke flipped the switch again and it went off with a familiar whoosh. He felt a sadness that he could not explain when he wielded the weapon so he set it aside with the robe.

Next was a small holographic projector. Luke touched the button to activate it and a man appeared. He was dressed in Jedi robes, including the robe from the box, and had an air of seriousness about him. His long hair was tied back from his face with a piece of leather and his lower face was covered with a beard. "That must be her father," he said absently.

Mara leaned forward for a better look. "I wonder what his name was," she said.

"Maybe something else in here will tell us," Luke said as he deactivated the holo and leaned forward to look in the box again.

Next in the box was a stack of papers folded neatly in half and tied with a red ribbon. He undid the ribbon and unfolded the papers to find that it was a stack of drawings of people. Each drawing was of a good size and was of various views of each person's face, including a close up of the eyes.

The top drawing was of a black man with a bald head and a serious face. In the corner was a name, printed clearly and in small letters. *Mace Windu Jedi Master and Head of the Jedi Council* Luke set that aside to find that the next drawing was of Yoda.

"Master Yoda," Luke muttered with a light smile. The corner listed his name and that he was also a Jedi Master and head of the Jedi council as well.

That drawing went aside and was replaced by the drawing of a man that Luke recognized. Mara recognized him as well.

"Palpatine," she said. "I wonder why she included him."

His drawing was labeled, *Chancellor Palpatine formerly Senator of the planet Naboo.* Even then, his face held the evil that he would become. With a shiver, Luke set the drawing aside to find a picture of a creature staring up at him. *Jar-Jar Binks, Gungan,* was what the corner read. "What an unusual creature," Mara said as she took the drawing and set it aside with the others.

The next was a woman. Beautiful, but with lines in her face and worry in the beautiful eyes. They were Leia's eyes. Luke sat transfixed by the woman. The name in the corner was simply *Shmi.*

"No label except the simple name," Mara said. "She has Leia's eyes."

Luke shook his head. "This is my grandmother," he said. "Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru spoke of her."

The next drawing was of a boy about nine years old. The name in the corner was *Anakin.* "This is my father," Luke said. "It has to be."

"He's a child," Mara said with surprise.

Luke gave her a strange look. "Everyone was a child once," he said.

"I never was," Mara said with a smile.

Luke shook his head and looked back at the drawing. The boy looked eager, innocent. Nothing like the dark man he would become. After several minutes of looking at the drawing he finally put it aside and looked at the next drawing. It was a young man with familiar features and a braid hanging down over his right shoulder. The name read *Obi-Wan Kenobi Padawan Jedi to Qui-Gon.*

"What's a Padawan Jedi?" Mara asked as she looked over his shoulder.

Luke shrugged. "I have no idea," he replied then smiled. "I can't believe this is Ben."

"He wasn't bad looking as a young man," Mara said.

"I almost believed that he had never been a young man," Luke said jokingly.

"Just check the next drawing," Mara said with a slight shove to his shoulder. Luke set the drawing aside.

The next drawing was another woman. This was the only one done with color and Luke could see why. In some of the drawing, the young woman wore a design of make-up. Two red dots decorated her cheeks and the top lip was red as well. A small bit of the red went down in the center of the bottom lip while the rest of her face was white. On her head was a headdress that seemed to be part of her hairstyle. Not all of the various views had her in the makeup. Some had her in simple clothes and no make-up. And she reminded him of Leia. In the corner, her name was listed as *Queen Amidala of Naboo.*

"How beautiful," Mara commented. "That's the second time I've seen the name Naboo. I wonder where it is."

"Who knows," Luke shrugged as he pushed that aside to sit with the others.

The last drawing was of the man from the holo. In the corner was his name *Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Master.* "This is him," Luke said. "Qui-Gon Jinn."

"It certainly is," Mara said with her chin on Luke's shoulder.

"I wonder who he was," Luke said. "I wish I could learn more about him."

Mara took this final drawing from Luke and placed it with the others where she folded them back up and wrapped them in the ribbon without tying it. Both looked in the bottom of the box to see that it was now empty. Mara looked at the side, puzzled. "That can't be it," she said. "There's at least three inches that something has to be in."

Luke leaned forward and rapped on the bottom eliciting a hollow sound. "It's a false bottom," he said. He pushed on the corners until one gave and the false bottom came out of the box. He laid it aside with the other things from the box and peered into the box.

There was a thick book bound with soft Bantha leather in the bottom of the box. Luke lifted it out and opened it to the first page. *Luc-Da Jinn Jedi Knight and Daughter of Qui-Gon Jinn and Nalia Jonas was written in the same hand as the words from the drawings. Turning the page, he found that it was a journal.

*_I knew that he wouldn't live forever_,* one of the first entries began. *_But I didn't know it would hurt so much to lose him._*

Luke stopped here. "I don't know what to do with this," he said to Mara.

She looked over his shoulder at the words in the diary. "Read it," she said as she began to replace the items in the box exactly as they had been removed. When she finished, she kissed Luke's cheek and left him alone with the journal.

*_He was a good man_,* the journal went on. *_And I will miss him very much_.*

Luke settled in to read the contents of the girl's heart.

*_He died a Jedi. Fighting for the people who needed him to fight against a dark Jedi. I suppose I'll never know the name of the dark Jedi, but I don't care. Obi-Wan told me of his last moments, the duel and its result. The boy was the last thing on his mind. If I weren't the Jedi I was trained to be, I would have been jealous. But I've met the boy. He's brave and loving and thoughtful not to mention very strong with the Force. He won a pod race on his homeworld of Tatooine and won his own freedom from slavery as well as the parts that were needed to get my father and the group from Naboo to Coruscant. He destroyed the droid control ship, by all accounts, accidentally. Father thought he was the chosen one, the one to bring balance to the Force, but the council thinks otherwise and refuses to allow him to be trained. Their excuse is that he is too old to be trained as a Jedi. They stick too much to their PERCEPTIONS of the Jedi code. Obi-Wan has convinced them to allow him to train the boy—a move motivated, I think, by my father's death—but he is his first student. How well will he be able to teach him?_

_My father was one to break the code when he saw fit and was always clashing with the council. His last clash was about the boy. He told Obi-Wan that he would do what he must. He was always thinking of others. The boy and his mother. Amidala. Obi-Wan. He was not able to free Ani's mother—what was her name? Shmi, I think. I hope to someday meet her._

_Obi-Wan has been named a full Jedi. Anakin is his Padawan. Of course it will take some time to grow his hair long enough to add a braid signifying his status so Obi-Wan added some of his own tail to make the braid for Ani._

_Something about the boy does not feel right. Maybe it is just the misgivings of the council influencing me._

_As for Queen Amidala she is glad the Palpatine has been elected Chancellor. She hopes that he will bring sanity to the Republic. He gives me the creeps, the way that he sort of looks right through you. _I can sympathize, Luke thought.

_- A new day brings celebrations. The Gungans had a parade and I met the Gungan called Jar-Jar. He told me that Qui-Gon saved his life—twice. At least I think that's what he said. "Mesa woulda bin crushed if it had not been for the Jedi," is what he said. He said some other things, but it was impossible for me to understand. Qui-Gon understood, and I guess that is all that matters._

_I try to be happy for them, but all I feel is pain. My father is gone. They gave me his robe and I am grateful, but I feel alone. Obi-Wan tried to give me the lightsaber that my father had carried all of my life, but I insisted that he keep it. He would need it if he was going to be training young Skywalker. He said he would keep it, but just until he could make a new one. I insisted he keep it until Ani was trained. Finally, he agreed._

Luke scanned the next few entries. Most were short, simple details of the day's events. Looking through the pages he realized that the book was several years in the life of Qui-Gon's daughter. He flipped to somewhere in the middle.

_-The only thing I think I disliked about my father was that he was always so serious. I got my Force gifts from him but I got my sense of humor from my mother. I would practically celebrate when I got him to crack a smile. Ani did not know Qui-Gon very long, but I know he loved him and misses him. So do I and so, I think, does Obi-Wan._

_I'm confused about my feelings for him. Thrown together a lot, we make a good team and I feel a connection to him as I have never felt with anyone else before. Maybe it is just because he witnessed my father's death. Or maybe it is something else entirely. I wish I could ask my father about it._

Luke looked up and thought about that entry. He put the journal down and went back into the box. The braids still lay on top and he pulled them out and wound them side by side through his fingers. *_He was a good friend,_* Ben had told him a long time ago. He slid the red-gold braid from the others and let the remaining two twine against his fingers. They were coarse, but they gave Luke a feeling of warmth. Finally, he picked the book back up and flipped through it until he another entry caught his eye.

_-Bail Organa has been great friend through all of this, but what can he do now? If a settlement with the Separatists cannot be reached, war is in our future. It could be the downfall of the Republic. Senator Amidala's handmaiden Corde was killed in an attempt on her life. Chancellor Palpatine insisted on a Jedi guard for her and Obi-wan and Anakin were sent. I have not seen them in five years since I left the order after Outbound Flight disappeared._

_When I spoke to Qui-Gon before he left to return to Naboo, that fateful trip when he was killed by the Sith, he told me that he thought Anakin and Amidala's futures would intertwine. He told me that Shmi had looked at Amidala once like she was giving her son to him. The way the very-grown-up Ani looks at Amidala, I'm beginning to think it, too._

Luke felt a lump in his throat. Amidala. That was his mother's name. He flipped through more pages until he saw their names again.

_-I am beginning to grow tired of hiding. The children will never be safe as long as Palpatine is Emperor. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan watches over Amidala's son on Tatooine. I have to admit, the twins are beautiful. They came quickly, first the boy then the girl. _Luke smiled softly at that. He had always felt like he was the elder of them. _Amidala's death was a huge blow as she was not just my friend but my adopted sister._ _But I have other things to concentrate on. Like the Jedi children. And the child I carry within me. I only hope she will someday be able to know her Jedi father as I knew mine._

_-I saw Obi-Wan in the marketplace. He told me that Luke is doing well growing up in his father's beginnings. The girl was adopted by Bail Organa here on Alderaan. Ami would be disappointed because they cannot grow up on Naboo. I keep thinking that if my father had lived, maybe Ani wouldn't have turned. Qui-Gon would have trained the boy and he would be the chosen one, the one who brings balance to the force just like my father said he would._

Luke flipped through the pages again. Until he had reached almost the end of the book.

_-When Amidala went to confront Anakin, now being called Darth Vader, to try to bring him back to our side, Anakin argued with her. Ani thinks that the Jedi turned against Palpatine and wouldn't listen to her. Obi-wan told me that he stepped out to confront him and he force strangled Ami. In demanding that he stop, a lightsaber battle ensued and Anakin fell near a pit of hot lava, severely wounded. We don't even know whether he is dead or alive, but his children, born soon thereafter, remain in their respective hiding spots. Master Yoda says that they should not be told of their father's turning until they have been trained as Jedi. Obi-Wan doesn't like it but knows better than to question it. How I wish my father was here!_

_-I haven't much time. I need to put some closing thoughts on this so I can close the box and give it to Callie for safekeeping. She said she would keep it until I return from Tatooine. My baby girl has grown for two years without much contact with her father. Today I am going to take her there to see him. Her eyes are as green as the pendant Ani made me when he was a teen before I left the Jedi Order to become the aide to Senator Amidala, her hair the color of mine and curly as my mom's was. I see Qui-Gon in her too. That pensive look that he always had when he was thinking and always serious. I wish he could have been here to know her._

_I guess I should tell about what I am putting in the box in case I am unable to. The three braids are the Padawan braids of me, Ben and Anakin. Anakin gave me his when he became a full Jedi—in thanks for keeping the secret of his marriage at the open of the Clone Wars. The scarf was given to me by my father when I cut my braid. Alderaani silk is the finest in the galaxy, second to none. The white pendant is the one that nine year old Anakin made for his friend Padme who turned out to be Queen Amidala in disguise. It was to be entombed with her, but I could not bear to let it go. Someday, her children will find the token of Anakin's Love for Amidala a treasure. The green pendant is one he made from a piece of Nubian Jade that Anakin found in the swamps of Naboo. He gave it to me for luck when I boarded the Outbound Flight project. The robe and lightsaber belonged to my father, the saber having been returned to me, as promised, when Anakin cut his braid. The drawings I did a very long time ago, a study of each person as I knew them many years ago. I don't want to forget how things used to be. In the false bottom, I will put this journal. Hopefully I will begin anew someday when things don't look so bad. Hopefully with Obi-Wan. _

_I think my father was wrong about Anakin being the chosen one, but time will tell I suppose. Maybe his children will turn him back to the good side and help him do what he is destined to do. Obi may not have wanted to admit it, but there is still good in him. Even if he is nothing but a hideous being in a life support suit._

That was the last entry. Ben had never told him that. Ben had never told him about having a child. Maybe he had lost her and the loss had been too painful for him to share with his student. Luke lay his head back on the couch as he thought about it. When Mara came in, he looked up at her then had a sudden realization. He looked down at the red-gold braid, JUST THE COLOR OF MARA'S HAIR. Flipping back into the journal he found the entry again, "_Her eyes are as green as the pendant Ani made me when he was a teen, her hair the color of mine." _His jaw dropped open.

"What is it Luke?" Mara asked.

He held up the braid. "Look at this," he said as he handed it to her. "It's the same color as yours."

"So?"

He handed her the Jade pendant. "This is the same color as your eyes."

"So?" Mara said again. "What is your problem?"

Luke stood up from his seat, the journal slipping to the floor. "It's just too much of a coincidence," he said as he bent over to pick the volume up. On the floor next to it was a folded sheet that had fallen out of it. Gently, Luke picked the book up and lay it on the edge of the box then reached for the paper. He unfolded it to find that it was another drawing in color. It was a child with red-gold hair and green eyes. And the caption read: *Ben insists on calling her his little Jade girl because her eyes are the exact color of my pendant. So we call her Mara Jade.*

Luke stood in disbelief. "What do you remember about your parents?" he asked.

"Only that they didn't want to lose me," Mara replied. "What's wrong?"

"Did anything in the box seem familiar?"

"Why?" Mara asked, not sure where this was leading.

"Just… answer me," Luke said softly.

Mara fingered the pendant that she still held in her hand. It was cool to her touch and brought back the memory of it hanging around the slim neck of a woman with her hair color. "This does," Mara replied quietly as she handed the pendant back to him.

"My father made it for her," Luke said then handed her the drawing.

"For my mother," Mara said with surprise as she looked at the drawing. "But who was my father?"

Luke handed her the journal. "Obi-Wan Kenobi," he answered. "It's all in the journal. I think you should read it."

Mara took the journal and held it in the hand without the drawing. "Maybe I'll get to know myself along the way."

**Chapter 2 **

Now Mara knew how Luke had felt about opening the box. She sat in her own quarters staring at the journal as it sat on the table in front of her. Luke had marked the pages that he had read in case she wanted to read those pages as well. Mara had a feeling that those pages had more to do with him then they would with her, so she decided to avoid them for now.

Finally, she opened the book to some early pages and began to read. Somehow she knew that the pages she would read would be something that would have to do with her.

_*- I made it through the council's tests. My father told me over the comm that he is proud of me, but because of this Trade Federation blockade, he can't be here to watch as Master PyRu cuts my braid. He did have a gift that he left with my master. A scarf of beautiful Alderaanian silk. He said that he picked it out himself. He wasn't smiling, he was so serious, so I said something ridiculous to make him smile. I live to make him smile. Even when he doesn't want to._

_-I made it back to Coruscant two days ago before my father got back today. Qui-Gon had this child with him and told me that he was the chosen one before we could even hug. Obi-Wan was with him. I hate contact with Obi-Wan. My stomach does flips when I am near him. PyRu says it is a crush and I should repress it. Qui-Gon tells me to learn to live with it since Obi-Wan follows the code so much more closely than either my father or me._

_-The situation on Naboo has grown critical. Qui-Gon has gone back to Naboo to find out more about a dark Jedi he came across on Tatooine. I did get to hear what had happened to lead him to the desert planet. Upon arriving on the Neimodian ship to begin negotiations, they were attacked and the ship that took them there was destroyed with the crew still aboard. Father and Obi-Wan made it down to the planet to warn the queen about the invasion. They escaped in the queen's ship but did not escape clean. Damage to the ship caused a severe power loss, so they had to stop on Tatooine. That's where the found this boy who helped them get the parts they needed by winning a pod race. They were attacked by the dark Jedi as they left._

_Now they return to Naboo, and I have a very bad feeling about things. When I said goodbye to my father, I had the feeling that we would never see each other again. I wish I could go with them, but I have work here.*_

Mara looked up at the ceiling and took a deep breath before going back to the journal.

_*- It's been many weeks since Obi-Wan and I have seen each other, but when I got the call from Anakin asking that I accompany a contingent of clone troops to Corellia to get him out of there, my heart would not let me say no. Since Ani is clear across the galaxy and can't get there in time, and since I am in the area…_

_I arrived in a mass of confusion with the place crawling with droid troops and a rumor of the presence of General Grievous, not to mention the annual Marriage Festival. I ran across a boy of about 9 who was able to take me to where he had Obi-Wan hidden. As we made ready to cut through the Wedding Group, the boy warned us not to drink the wine if we were stopped. Unfortunately, we did drink the wine. Having been cornered by the attendant and unable to escape without partaking without making a scene that would surely have gotten us discovered, we drank._

_After a dodge from droid troopers and a swim in the freezing river, we came to my ship where the group of troopers waited. By this time, we were feeling the effects of the wine. I offered a ride to him, which he accepted, and left the clones behind to make sure we could escape._

_I found out later that the wine, aside from being a marriage ritual that meant we were now married, was made from a fruit that, when fermented, became a very powerful and long lasting aphrodisiac. Try as we might, we could not shake off the effect. Even with the help of the Force. To me however, it felt like the Force was pushing. I don't know if Obi-Wan felt it too, but we acted on it. _

_We explored the physical intimacy slowly, and, on a whim, I reached out with the Force to enhance the sensations. My explorations brought me to a place where we were mentally intimate as well. Nothing had prepared me for the heights to which I went with Obi-Wan. It was as if we were one with each other and one with the Force._

_I woke in his arms as if from a dream. The dream was interrupted in short order by the proximity alarm warning that we were approaching our destination. I left him asleep in the bunk, dressed and went to the cockpit. He met me just after I rendezvoused with his battleship. We had no time to speak about what had transpired before docking with the larger ship. Obi-Wan disembarked with a slight nod which I returned._

The entry was so personal, so private that Mara felt like she was intruding as she read it. It did, however, give her insight into her mother's relationship with her father. She flipped some more pages and found one that detailed her birth.

_*- Obi-Wan doesn't want me up just yet as I am still a bit weak but he knows that I hate being cooped up. Our daughter is beautiful. In a way I'm glad that the Jedi academies have been destroyed. She is strong in the Force and they would come for her at six months old. I don't want to lose her. I just hope we can keep her safe until she is old enough to become a Jedi. Anakin's Jedi children are very healthy regardless of how they came into the world. Hiding them may be the only chance they have.*_

Mara was sure that she was speaking of Luke and Leia. Reading how important she was to her parents was very emotional, something she wasn't quite used to. She went on to read the next entry.

_*-I dreamt last night that Luke and Amara grew up to become Jedi. They were married and had children of their own. When I told Obi-Wan of the dream, he said it was a Jedi vision and that he hoped it would come true. I hope it comes true myself. Luke will make a great Jedi. Like his father was before he was turned. Amara will make a good Jedi as well and my father would be proud of her. I think Qui-Gon would be proud of Obi-Wan as well, even with his failures. I wish he were here now, to see his granddaughter if nothing else. Sometimes I feel as if he were by my side, guiding me and letting me know that he is still proud of me.*_

Mara herself could almost feel the eyes of her grandfather on her and shining with pride as she read the entry. She flipped through some pages until she came to almost the end.

_*- Mara grows like a weed. She hasn't left my side since the day she was born. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about her father. I miss Obi-Wan so much, but the twins are more important right now. They are a threat to Palpatine's regime. They must survive to become Jedi. The Galaxy needs them._

_-The Jedi children that we, Callista and I, have been hiding will be scattered to the four winds. The children will be hidden, with the total renouncement of their powers, with various families on various worlds around the galaxy from Naboo to Bakura. The Bakurans are a bit wary of them because of an incident with a dark Jedi several months before the end of the war but when we promised that they would not be using their powers at all, they agreed to take the children. There were, after all, only two of them._

_-We had a brief visit with Ben on Tatooine. We were only able to spend a couple of days with him and they were nowhere near enough for any of us. Mara cried when we left, but I calmed her with a promise that we would be back. I know it tore his heart out to watch us go but he promised soon. Soon we'll be together and we won't have to be apart ever again. I can't wait for that day either and couldn't help crying as I kissed him goodbye. _

_-All the months and years since my father died have been full—maybe too full. I still miss him. Sometimes I wonder if Ani ever thinks of him, but being who he is now, I don't think he does. We stopped on Alderaan on the way back to meet Callista on Belsavis. Leia, too, is getting big. Bail Organa gave Ani's droids to a Lieutenant Antillies after he had their memories wiped. I wish he hadn't had to do that but they know about the twins. What if they somehow got back to the Empire and Vader got hold of them? I can't even dream of calling that man Anakin anymore. He's not the same man inside. We all miss Anakin.*_

Mara read the last entry detailing the contents of the box then closed up the book. She lay it back on the table and wondered about the droids that her mother had spoken of. With a mental shrug, she pushed herself up off the couch and headed out to find Luke to discuss wedding plans over dinner with Leia and Han.

Deep in the bowels of Mount Tantiss, people worked to catalogue the items that the Emperor had, for some strange reason, saved. Boxes and boxes of things that had been hidden for decades were covered with dust. Shaala Maylor was the head of the historians who were sent to do the job. There were a lot of items that had been owned by Jedi—lightsabers, garments and the like—but no information about them that the Jedi historians could use to help Master Skywalker in his academy existed among them. Among the items they found a slab of carbonite... with someone still frozen inside.

Shaala checked the readings and as far as she could tell, the person was still alive, and in the suspended animation of carbon hibernation. Who knew how long the person had been there. Shaala felt like she should release the person. He or she would probably be alright. If any more time went by, the person might die or be released when the galaxy was no longer familiar to them.

Shaala studied the keypad for a few minutes then activated the de-freezing process. The machine hummed for a minute making Shaala think that perhaps the de-freeze cycle was malfunctioning but then there was a buzz and the carbonite melted away revealing that the person was a woman. It finished the process with a whoosh and Shaala stood over her waiting for her to take a first breath. When she didn't, Shaala reached down and shook her with a jerk. The woman gasped for air before breathing normally.

"Don't hurt my daughter," she pleaded.

"I'm not going to hurt anyone," Shaala said. "Can you walk?"

"I don't know," the woman said. "I'm cold."

"Hibernation sickness," Shaala told her. "Let me help you."

She pulled the woman away from the bed where she had been for so long and helped her to her feet. Shaala wrapped her in a blanket as the clothing she wore was in tatters.

"Don't take me to the Emperor," the woman begged. "The children... My daughter... they need me."

"The Emperor is dead and the children you speak of are likely adults by now," Shaala told her as she led the woman, blinded by the hibernation sickness, to the medical center that they had set up. "He was killed fifteen years ago."

"Fifteen years!" the woman exclaimed as they arrived at the med center and Shaala gave her into the care of the medical droid.

Carefully, the droid began to pull away the remains of the woman's clothing as Shaala explained. "The Rebellion destroyed his armored space station and he was on it."

"What about Vader?"

"He's dead, too. I think he was on the Death Star," Shaala said. "Some historian I am. I can't even tell you how Vader died."

The woman smiled. "That's OK. You CAN tell me how long Palpatine was in power, can't you?"

"That I can do," Shaala said. "He was in power for around twenty five years."

The woman did some calculations in her head. "Thirty-six years," she said. "Give or take."

"That's how long you've been in the carbonite?" Shaala said as she helped the woman up on the bed. "You just get some rest. I'm going to put a call through to Coruscant. What's your name by the way?"

"Luc-Da Jinn," came the answer. "But don't mention it yet. I want to speak to the Jedi first." She raised her head. "There ARE Jedi, aren't there?"

"Yes," Shaala responded. "Not as many as before the purge, but there are Jedi"

The woman put her head back down on the bed. "Thank you."

Luc-Da stared up at the dusty ceiling of the med center and waited for Shaala's return. Having been able to center herself and make herself calm, she was more able to heal herself of the hibernation sickness. She was almost one-hundred percent. Almost.

Shaala returned to her side to be surprised that Luc-Da could see perfectly. "How...?"

"Jedi healing techniques," was her reply. "What did Coruscant say?"

"The Jedi Master is a bit preoccupied with his wedding plans," Shaala said. "So we're going to meet with him on Coruscant."

Luc-Da pushed herself up of the bed and landed on her feet on the floor. "When do we leave?"

Shaala smiled. "You in a hurry?"

"I want to find my daughter," Luc-Da smiled. "And what happened to her father."

"A friend of the Master's will be stopping on his way back to Coruscant," Shaala told her. "He'll be taking us there with him."

"Good," Luc-Da said. "By the way, what is the name of the Jedi Master you spoke of?"

She half expected the woman to say Yoda but was surprised when she said instead, "Luke Skywalker." She paused. "He was a hero of the Rebellion."

Luc-Da stared at her. "Luke Skywalker son of Anakin Skywalker?"

"That's what I've heard," Shaala replied. "You OK?"

"Fine," Luc-Da said. "Meeting him is more imperative than ever now."

**Chapter 3 **

She was a tall woman, almost as tall as Talon Karrde, but still beautiful. The carbonation process had preserved her youth and beauty for a long time. Her hair was cropped close in a boyish style and she was muscular. He was curious about her but she said nothing save her name. She said her name was Espa Myn and that she had been a historian in a long line of historians for the old Republic. Karrde had no way of testing her, but listened to the story she told of a queen and a slave boy who won a pod race to help her. He knew it had to be a fairy tale because no human could ever race a pod, much less win a race. Their reflexes just weren't fast enough.

The trip to Coruscant was shorter than he would have expected with his guest aboard. She kept the light-years from getting dull.

Luke handed Mara a glass of opaque Corellian wine and sat down next to her across from Leia and Han. "Well?" he asked.

"If you like it," Mara began. "Then I like it."

"Then it's settled," Leia said. "I'll have the builders start on it first thing in the morning."

"Do we even have specs for what it used to look like?" Han asked.

"I don't know," Leia said. "We can ask Shaala to check around when she gets here."

"Shaala Maylor?" Mara asked to a nod from Leia. "I thought she was working at Mount Tantiss to catalogue the Emperor's junk."

Luke hid a smile. "She's on her way here with someone who wants to meet us," he said. "I'm sure she'll have specs on the old throne room."

They were talking about the uppermost throne room in the old Imperial palace. It had served as Palpatine's throne room for visiting dignitaries. It seemed almost as if it was on top of the world, and there was a view of 360 degrees. Mara hadn't been sure at first, but when Leia said that they could have it renovated, she agreed that they could hold the wedding there. Something about the room told them that they should.

The comm beeped and Leia stood to answer it. For the minute or so that she was gone, Han, Luke and Mara discussed the wedding. Han agreed that it should be small but also warned them that Leia would want to make it an event.

"That was the landing bay," Leia told them. "Kaarde is here with our visitors."

With that, the four adjourned to the landing bay.

Kaarde escorted the stranger out of the ship. Her hair was close cropped and bleached blonde with just a tinge of red. Her eyes were blue-green and she wore a simple jumpsuit which seemed to be a size smaller than she was comfortable with. Shaala was behind them.

"Master Skywalker, Leia, General Solo, Mara," Shaala began, saying each name in introduction. "This is Espa Myn. She is an historian and expert on the Jedi."

Luke reached out his hand and shook Espa's. "Do I know you?"

"I don't believe that we have ever met," Espa answered.

"I have a million questions to ask you," Luke said. "I guess the first should be to ask where you came from."

"I've been everywhere," Espa replied. "But I was born here on Coruscant."

"How much do you know about the city?" Leia asked.

"Quite a bit," Espa said. "But that was a long time ago. I wouldn't mind finding out what has changed."

Han took her arm. "I think I know what Leia has on her mind," he said. "Can I take you somewhere?"

"Lead on," Espa said with a smile.

Han led her away and out of the hangar. When Espa saw the building which they were about to enter, she stopped with a suddenness that almost knocked Han over.

"What is it?" Luke asked.

Espa's sense was unreadable, but he could see surprise in her face. "What an interesting building," she finally choked out.

"It's the Imperial palace," Mara told her.

Espa looked at her but she was still unreadable. As suddenly as she had stopped, she started again. "Where are we going?" she asked as they went in the main entrance.

"One of the Emperor's old throne rooms," Han answered.

"Where is it?"

"The tower," Leia answered for him. "We've wanted to do something with it for quite some time. It'll be the perfect place for Luke's wedding but we want to have it renovated back to how it originally was."

"The tower," Espa said thoughtfully.

"Have you ever been to Tatooine?" Luke asked her as they stepped on the lift.

"Once or twice," was Espa's answer.

"There was an old town near Beggar's Canyon called Mos Espa," Luke said. "I used to play in the ruins. Have you ever heard of it?"

Espa looked a bit dreamy eyed for a second before she answered. "It was destroyed by the Empire."

"Why would the Empire destroy a town on Tatooine?" Luke asked incredulously.

"I wouldn't know," Espa said. For the first time and only for a second, Luke could read her. What he saw was that she was lying.

The lift doors opened and they went down a short corridor to the throne room. As soon as Espa entered, she stopped. Mara and Luke walked across the room and watched as she looked around the room with awe.

"Luke this doesn't feel right," Mara said.

"I know," Luke replied. "She lied about Mos Espa."

"Why would she do that?"

Luke shrugged and turned back to Espa. "What do you think?"

"He liked red an awful lot," she said.

Thick red curtains hung at the windows looking out over the city and the floor was done in red and black tile designs. At one end of the room was a large seat set up on a dais. "That has definitely got to go," Espa said with a gesture towards it. "The curtains, too. They're horrible. And the tile definitely doesn't go with the way the room should be. Maybe the original is underneath."

"Can you tell what it looked like before?" Leia asked.

"Maybe if we take up the tile and scrape off some of the paint...," Espa said.

"Do you know what it looked like before?" Mara asked.

A strange looked crossed Espa's face before she answered. "Probably not exactly, but we can look at what's underneath and see what we've got." She turned to Luke. "I'm getting a bit tired and could use some rest. Could you tell me where I'll be staying?"

"I'll show you to some rooms," Han put in before Luke could answer. "You guys talk it over and we'll get back to you." He stuck out his elbow and Espa took it. They were followed closely by Shaala.

After they left, Leia turned to Luke and said, "She was lying."

"You sensed it too?" Mara asked.

Leia nodded. "Why would she lie like that?"

"I don't know," Luke replied. "But she seems familiar."

"I thought so too," Mara said. "Like I'd seen her just recently."

It was like there was a sudden itch in Luke's mind. "Recently," he said thoughtfully and wandered off.

"What's his problem all of a sudden?" Mara asked.

"Can't you tell?"

"No. You?"

Leia shook her head. "I think he knows who she is now."

Espa, also known as Luc-Da Jinn, sat at the small table in the quarters she had been assigned to. Her task was to write in a journal whose pages were mostly blank. She was engrossed in her entry.

_*-Today is the first day of the rest of my life... and what a life it is. Thirty-six years have passed and I have seen my friend Anakin's twins as adults and met their significant others. Was that really MY Mara whom they said would be marrying Luke? She looked like... It had to be her. I have to find out what happened to Ben. He has to know that I am alive! But what if he is dead? I don't want to think about that possibility but I have to. I miss him so much! I miss the taste of his lips on mine, the feel of his hands on my body, the feel of his mind in mine. I just...*_

A knock pulled Luc-Da from her memories and she stood and pushed herself away from the table. Putting up her boundaries, she went and answered the door to find Luke Skywalker waiting with a box in his arms. Her box. The one she had given Callista for safekeeping. How did he get it?

Luke saw the startled look cross her face but ignored it. "I thought since you are an expert on the Jedi that you would like to see this."

"Come in," she said with a wave of her hand. She quickly closed her journal and moved it aside to where Luke could not see it.

Carefully she opened the box and tried to be matter-of-fact when she looked at the things inside. Touching Anakin's and Ben's braids took her back to the past and she had trouble pushing them aside. With a look at Luke, she realized that he knew.

"You know," she said quietly.

"Luc-Da, why did you lie?" he asked.

"Because I don't want to be a Jedi anymore," was her reply. "It hurts too much. I lost my father as a Jedi, and my friend to the dark side. I have no idea what happened to Obi-Wan." She looked at Luke's face and knew. "He's dead."

"Let me tell you what happened," Luke said then, sitting her down on the couch, told her everything from when he had bought the droids until the celebration on Endor.

Tears sparkled in her eyes. "He came back," she said softly as she fingered his braid.

"Were you really born here on Coruscant?" Luke asked.

"Yes," Luc-Da said.

"Do you still miss Qui-Gon?" Luke asked, pronouncing it Kwee-Gone.

"Kwhy-Gone," Luc-Da corrected him.

"I'd never heard it pronounced," Luke explained. "Sorry."

"No problem," she replied. "How did you learn of him?"

"Your journal," he said as he reached in the box and pulled the object out.

"Did you read it all?" she asked as she took it from him.

"Mostly the parts about my father," Luke answered. "Mara read other parts. And from what she said, I'd gather some of them were rather personal."

"They were," she replied as she held the journal to her chest. Luke didn't pick up any embarrassment in her voice or her sense.

"You loved him very much," Luke said. It wasn't a question.

"I still do," she replied.

Luke shook his head. "He never said anything about you or your daughter."

"He never spoke about Qui-Gon after he died either," Luc-Da said. "My father was like a father to him. I guess the pain was just too much for him."

"He said that Master Yoda was his teacher," Luke said.

"He was," Luc-Da said. "Until Obi-Wan was taken as Padawan to Master Qui-Gon Jinn."

"Padawan?"

"Apprentice," Luc-Da explained.

Luke nodded in understanding then went on with his questions. "Why did you lie about Mos Espa?"

Luc-Da leaned back and looked at the ceiling. Mos Espa. She couldn't help but cry. "That was where it all began." She paused to wipe the tears from her cheek. "After he recovered from the duel with Ben he went to Tatooine and evacuated the slaves before destroying the town from orbit."

Luke was silent with shock for a few seconds before he spoke. "Evacuated the slaves?"

"When Qui-Gon found him, he was a slave in a junkyard and owned by a Toydarian called Watto," Luc-Da explained.

"He was a slave?"

"Until he was nine, yes," she replied.

"Obi-Wan told me that he was a pilot when they met," Luke said.

"That was true from a certain point of view," Luc-Da said.

Luke smiled. "I guess this is where a certain point of view came from."

"My father had a point of view all his own," she told him with a smile then went on to explain about Anakin. "Ani raced pods. He was great at it. He won a pod race to get parts for Ami's ship."

Luke nodded. "I read that in your journal. You also spoke about some droids. What happened to them?"

"Bail gave them to a lieutenant on Alderaan," Luc-Da replied. "And since Alderaan is dust... so are the droids."

Luke shrugged. "It doesn't matter I guess. I just thought that maybe we could see any holos that the R2 unit took from back then."

"R2-D2 never left Ani's side," Luc-Da said. "He could've... is something wrong?"

"It couldn't be," Luke said with a shake of his head. He looked up at Luc-Da. "I have an R2 unit that I've had since I left Tatooine."

Luc-Da smiled strangely. "You think?"

"There's only one way to find out," Luke replied. "Were you familiar with the systems of that R2 unit?"

"I used to watch Ani tinker with him."

"Let's go take a look."

Luc-Da sat in front of the R2 unit and opened the door behind which Anakin had placed the backup memory. "Yup, there it is," she said.

"I had always wondered what that was," Luke said as he squatted down next to the pair. "How do you load the backup memory into the regular memory?"

Luc-Da reached in and tinkered with the circuits. Suddenly, R2 began beeping a string of beeps too fast for either to understand clearly. His dome twirled about and he squealed.

"What was that all about?" Luke asked.

"He was just exclaiming about remembering me," Luc-Da said. "Where is your other droid."

"C-3PO?"

Luc-Da nodded. "He may have backups, too."

"How would you know that?"

"R2-D2 just told me that C-3PO is the droid that your father built when he was still a slave," Luc-Da said.

"I think we'd better wait on that for later," Luke said then went on thoughtfully. "It gives new meaning to the phrase, 'Thank the maker,' though."

"You mean he still says that?" Luc-Da said with a laugh.

Mara came into Luke's room to find that it was dark. She flipped the lights on to find Luke sitting on the floor meditating. Not expecting him, Mara jumped slightly with a small gasp.

"Why are you sitting here in the dark?" she asked.

"Meditation goes better when it's dark," he said without opening his eyes.

Mara noticed that the box was gone from the table. "Where's the box?"

"I gave it to L—uh, Espa to look over," Luke replied.

"You know more than you're telling me," Mara stated.

Luke opened one eye. "Ask me again sometime," was all he said before he closed it again.

Mara stood trying to figure out how to go about doing what she had gone in there for so Luke opened both eyes and looked up at her. "I've never known you to hesitate like that," he said. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking about the journal," she replied. "There was something mentioned that I want to try with you."

"What?" Luke asked.

Mara came and sat down next to him on the floor. "My mother and father used to touch each other through the Force to enhance their love-making."

Luke didn't blush like she had expected him to. "Do you know how?"

"From what I gathered, there is a place in a person's mind that is geared toward pleasure," Mara told him. She wasn't able to say anything more when Luke reached out and took her hand.

She felt him draw the Force around them like a curtain then waited as he tentatively probed her mind for the spot she spoke of. When he found it, he gave a little nudge and Mara gasped. "That's it," she said breathlessly.

Luke pulled back a little to explore the new discovery as Mara reached out and touched him in the same manner. His lips parted, but neither of them noticed. It was if they were standing naked with hands and lips roaming the other's body, exploring to find what would cause the greatest pleasure. Mara shook with pleasure as Luke pushed deeper and lay his head down in her lap. It was as intense as Luc-Da had described it. Mara pushed deeper as well and the bond between them strengthened as they made love through the Force.

When their lips finally met and they began the physical part of it, neither noticed the other pulling at their clothes for inside they were already naked and pressed up to one another.

Long moments later, both were bathed in sweat and pressed face to face on the floor where they had begun. Neither wanted to separate, but they knew they would have to eventually. Finally, Luke sighed and kissed Mara one last time before pulling away to dress. Mara pulled herself up and watched him dress before gathering her own clothes. Neither said a word until both were dressed and sitting side by side on the floor once again.

"That was...," Luke began before realizing that he didn't have the words to describe it.

"Incredible," Mara finished as she lay her head on his shoulder.

"Incredible is hardly the word I would use to describe what just happened," Luke replied.

Mara laughed. "We should have tried it sooner."

Luke agreed and just sat enjoying Mara's company. They both jumped when Mara's comlink beeped. She pulled it out and thumbed it on. "What is it?"

Leia's voice came through the link. "Mara, we're supposed to be shopping for a dress, remember?"

Mara checked the time and realized that she and Luke had taken a lot longer than she had thought they had. She cursed. "I'll be there in a few Leia," she told her sister-in-law-to-be before thumbing off the link. "If it were up to me, I'd just wear my regular flight suit," she said as she got up off the floor and pulled her flight suit on. She leaned back down and kissed Luke passionately before rushing out.

**Chapter 4**

Weeks had passed and Luke and Luc-Da were having a practice duel on the roof of the Imperial palace. He was impressed by her ability. "I don't think the fancy footwork is necessary," he told her.

"Ah, but it is," Luc-Da said. "This is the way my own father taught me to fight." She struck forward only to be blocked then feigned a move to the left before striking to the right. Luke blocked every move.

"Doesn't it throw you off?" Luke asked.

"It's just like a dance," she replied. "If you keep the rhythm, you don't risk stepping on any toes."

Luke smiled. "Is that how he taught you?"

"No, that's how I described it to him," Luc-Da said as she moved forward on the offensive again. Luke defended every blow with ease. "Master Windu used to say that my father was the best swordsman in over four hundred years."

"How good was Ben?"

"He learned from the best," Luc-Da replied. "He was very good with his lightsaber, too."

They fought in silence for awhile. Luke was pretty good with his own saber, but finally Luc-Da got the better of him and knocked it out of his hand and across the roof.

"That was a good move," Luke said as Luc-Da shut her lightsaber down. He gathered his own saber and the two headed down to where they could take the lift to the tower. "If the tower used to be the council chamber," he went on. "Then what was the Imperial Palace?"

"The Jedi Academy," she replied matter-of-factly. "I lived here until I left the Jedi Order. Then I lived on Naboo."

"What was Naboo like?"

"It was a lot like Alderaan," she replied.

"I've never been to Alderaan," Luke said as they got on the lift. "At least not that I remember."

"No you weren't," Luc-Da said.

Luke nodded as the lift doors opened and they walked out and down the short corridor to the chamber. Luc-Da gasped when she went inside.

"I was right," she said. "He just covered the old stuff up."

Luke moved to stand in the center of the floor. The old design was starting to show but was dim because of layers of glue used to keep the tile on.

"We're waiting for the solvent that will take up the glue without taking off the design," one of the workmen told her. She wasn't listening.

Luke stood exactly where his father had when they tested him to become a Jedi.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Luc-Da nodded. "The memories are still very fresh in my mind," she said.

"I wouldn't have expected anything less," Luke said as he touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry if they're painful."

Luc-Da shook her head. "The memories aren't painful," she said. "Coming back to the present is."

"I understand," Luke said. "It's like falling asleep with the galaxy one way and waking with it suddenly changed."

She wiped the tears from her eyes. "That's it exactly. The world has gone on without me."

"You miss Ben," Luke stated.

"I miss him very much," she said trying to push away the sudden wave of nausea that had been coming with the memories.

"I miss him too," Luke said. "But not in the same way I suppose."

Luc-Da smiled at that. "No. Not in the same way." She was quiet, letting the nausea go and taking a deep breath. "Have you told Mara who I am?"

"No," Luke replied. "I think you should tell her."

Luc-Da sighed. "I just KNEW you were going to say that."

Mara came to find Espa pacing outside of Luke's door. "Won't he let you in?" she asked.

Espa turned to her and smiled. Mara again had the sudden feeling that she knew this person but couldn't place where she knew her from. "I need to talk to you about something," Espa said.

"What is it?" Mara asked. She felt a twinge of jealousy but pushed it away. Luke had been spending a lot of time with Espa then he would come back to her and they would make love for hours on end. Mara was clueless as to what about this woman caused such passion from her husband-to-be, but had no idea what to do about it either.

"Do you remember your parents?"

The question was a total surprise to Mara. "A little. Why do you ask?"

"I knew them," Espa said.

"How?" Mara demanded.

Luc-Da drew a blank. How do I go on? She thought. Luke opened the door to his room and held up the journal from the box in his hand. Luc-Da reached over and took it from him then handed it to Mara. "This was your mother's journal," she said.

Mara flipped through it. "I realize that."

Luc-Da drew back and tried again. "Luc-Da was frozen in carbonite for the trip to Palpatine by the bounty hunters who captured her. I can't tell you why he didn't just kill her. Maybe he wanted a souvenir." She looked back to Luke who held up her present journal. "This is the journal she carried with her," Luc-Da said as she took the journal and gave it to Mara. Mara flipped it open to the first entry and read it.

_*- We're on our way back to Tatooine—for good this time. Mara is excited about getting to see her father again and I can't say as I blame her. I feel a certain excitement as well.*_

Mara paused to look up at Luc-Da. "Where did you get this?"

"I had it with me when they froze me in carbonite," Luc-Da said carefully, gauging her reaction. At first she didn't react; went back to reading the journal entry.

_*Maybe when I get there, Ben and I will finally be able to marry and live semi-happily ever after. I got my hair cut short again before I left last time. The heat on Tatooine is almost unbearable with my long hair I tied the locks with the red ribbon I used to tie in Mara's hair and gave it to Obi-Wan—I suppose I should start calling him Ben. It might have seemed like a silly gift to anyone else, but Ben was grateful. He has a piece of me and of Mara when we are gone. I simply can't wait to get home. Home. I never though I'd ever think of Tatooine as home, but wherever Ben is, well, that's home to me.*_

Suddenly it struck Mara as to what the woman had said. "You had it with you? You were frozen in carbonite?"

Luc-Da nodded. "I've tried to prepare myself for this but I guess there is no way to..." she started to take a deep breath to go on, but Mara beat her to the punch.

"Luc-Da?" Mara looked at her and saw a bit of herself in the woman's green eyes. They weren't as deep a green as Mara's, but they were green. Her hair was sun-bleached blonde, but she could still see the red in it. It was almost the same exact color as Mara's.

Anger flashed across Mara's face, but she controlled it quickly. Turning to Luke, she yelled. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was something she had to do," he replied as he nodded towards the other woman.

"I'm sorry," Luc-Da said.

Memories that she had thought were long gone flooded through Mara's mind. The bundle of Luc-Da's hair tied with a red ribbon and laid in the waiting hands of her father. The green Nubian Jade pendant hanging around her mothers neck, he long hair piled on top of her head as she sang an old lullaby, the words of which were lost to her. The visit to Alderaan where she met Bail Organa and his daughter Leia. The bounty hunters freezing her mother in carbonite and taking her to Palpatine. The beginning of her training to become his killer.

For the first time in Mara's life since she could remember, she began to cry. Her knees buckled and she started to fall, only to have Luc-Da there to catch her. She held Mara in her arms and Luke just watched them for a few minutes before passers-by began staring and he helped them inside. He left them alone while Mara cried thirty-six years worth of tears. It took quite some time for her to finish. When she finished, she looked up into Luc-Da's eyes, only to realize that she had been crying the whole time as well. She pushed away and stood up to walk across the room and grab a hanky from a drawer. She brought one back for Luc-Da to use to dry her eyes as well.

"I don't usually get that emotional," Mara said.

Luc-Da shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she said. "My family has never been that emotional. I lived just to make my father smile."

Mara smiled. "Tell me about him."

"Later," Luc-Da said. "I've got some work to do. The solvent for the floor in the tower came. I want to be there to watch when they take up the last of the glue."

Mara got to her feet them helped Luc-Da there as well. "I take it you used go to that room now and again," she said.

"Now and again," Luc-Da replied. "It was the Jedi council chambers."

"Makes sense I guess," Mara said. "I'm coming with you."

Luc-Da nodded. "Whatever you say."

Mara waited for Luke to return from wherever he had gone. She had told Luc-Da how they met and the circumstances surrounding her hatred for Luke. Then she explained he they had discovered that they had fallen in love somewhere along the way of this rocky friendship. Now Luc-Da had gone to get some much needed sleep and Mara awaited Luke in his apartments. When he finally returned, she kissed him.

"What was that for?" he asked as he pulled his Jedi robe off.

"Nothing and everything," she replied and she dragged him off to the bedroom.

The End


End file.
